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^ God said, Let there be light ; and there was light."— Gen. i. 



BEAUTIES 

OF 

PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY, 

FOR 

Believing and Unbelieving, Converted and Unconverted 

JEWS AND GENTILES: 

OR, 

THE AUXILIARY AND SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDE, 

TO THE 

BELIEF AND PRACTICE OF CHRIST'S FRIENDS 

OF 

ALL NATIONS. 

and love, among mankmd, of every ^600^^' 
kindred, tongue, naiioi), and 
language. 

DESIGNED ALSO 



i M ^^ Friend SEThTeoNARD. 

M.„.ster ana Preache, of .e EveH..^^ «„,,. ,, .,, W„, an. Co..a„d»e„. 



ALBANY. <t^<^ 1871 X*> 



PRINTED BY E. & E. H0S>6^: vT- 
1825. 



*:sH*> 



y^-fW^S 



L^ 




NORTHERN DISTRICT? ^^ ^.-^ 
OF New-York. > 

BE lTREiMEIMBERED,That 
on the twenty-seventh day of 
May, in the forty-ninth year of the 
Independence of the United States 
of America, A. D, 1825, Seth Leo- 
nard, of the said District, hath de- 
posited in this office, the title of a 
Book, the right "vvhereof he claims 
as author and proprietor in the 
words following, to wit:— "God 
said. Let there be light; and there 
was hght," Gen. i. 3. Beauties 
of Primitive Christianity, for be- 
lieving and unbeheving, converted 
and unconverted Jews and Gen- 
tiles ; or the Auxiliary and Supple- 
mentary Guide, to the belief and 
-scrvs^ >=^ w- practice of Christ's Friends of all 

nat'on« De-i^ned to help in establishing a complete Union between all 

^hurche. of"^ery Denomination of Christians, in every part of the g bbe 

::^"ro\^ssisfin2ending the t- worship pra.s.^ a^^^ 

tohelpin facililatingthe --[f --"f^^^a^^n^ i peace, happi-' 

jiandment of God^ in con ^ j^^^^ learning, by secunng 

States, entited" An. ct^^^^^^^^ the authors and proprietors of 

the copies of Maps, Char^^^^^^ and also, to the act en^ 

.uch cop.es, during the t^"^^^;"^^;;' ^^^^i^led * An act for the encourage- 
titled " Anactsupplementary toan act e„tu^^^ ^ ^^ 

ment of learning, by ^^^";;:f . \^,V^^^^ times therein men- 

t:^^:^St:i'^^ -- of Designing, Engrav. 

ng and Etching historical and other prints. ^ ^ LANSING, Clerk 

oftH J\''orihern District of Mw-York. 



PRSFACE. 



tjhristians do most adorn the name, 
When lamblike temper is their aim ; 
Harmless as doves, as serpents wise, 
Faith, hope, and charity their prize, 

God has made known his will to mankind, in various 
wa^'s, from age to age, both previous to, and after the time 
of Christ's being visible on the earth :-T-Instilling into 
their minds a belief in the Supreme Being, the Great Spi- 
rit, the Almighty God, and the principles of devotion, 
prayer, worship, &c. and of a future state of rewards and 
punishments ; all, in a greater or less degree, according to 
the light manifested to mankind in different places and at 
different times. 

In looking over the numerous Creeds and Confessions 
of Faith, formed in different ages and in different coun- 
tries, it is very interesting to the friends of righteousness, 
to perceive a general agreement of sentiment in the greater 
part of the fundamental principles of divine truth. Dif- 
ferences in minor, and often times non-essential things are 
indefinitely numerous, while the leading and most essen- 
tial features of the Christian system are more generally 
maintained : For many of the fundamental principles of 
the Gospel have been acknowledged by almost all the pro- 
fessed friends of Christ in the different parts of the globe, 
in all ages of the Christian Church. 

While we take this general survey of the Christian 
world, and find our high obligations of gratitude to God, it 
is not to be forgotten that the professors of Christianity are 
(June 22, A. D. 1825, and A. L. 5825,) divided into a num- 
ber of different classes, alienated, to a considerable degree, 
from each other, both from a want of intercourse and cor- 
rect information, and also from some real differences in sen- 



IV PREFACE. 

timent and practice. Yet, it is hoped, that this publication 
will have a tendency to promote that charity, brotherl} 
kindness and love, morality and agreement, which are the 
bonds of Christian Union, and the Beauties of Primitive 
Christianity. 

Above all things, we ought and are commanded to put 
on charity ; for charity is a friendly, pleasing, heavenly, 
happy principle ; attaches men to one another, fills the 
soul with love to God and good will to men ; and circu- 
lates lasting joy from heart to heart. " Charity never 
faileth." Charity will continue when unknown years shall 
cease to roll, 'when '' time shall be no more," and as long 
as eternity shall endure or God exist : For ^' God is love.'* 

In faith and hope the world do disagree ; 

But all mankind's concern is charity. 

Therefore, may we never dispute about any doctrinal te- 
net or principle, which caiiuot be clearly, fairly, fully, 
plainly, and accurately proved by the Scriptures, or un- 
deniably demonstrated to every rational, intelligent human 
being. Nay, we ought not to quarrel at all, but we may 
with propriety reason^wilh candour, for the purpose of en- 
lightening and edifying each other in useful, scriptural, 
gospel knowledge, in the way of righteousness ; and for 
increasing and establishing Christian Union and Fellowship 
among mankind. 

We say reason, because, can subordinate beings, in a 
moral point of view, be accountable for their thoughts^ 
words, or actions, when they have no reason ? Hence may 
we not decisively conclude, that Reason and Liberty, oi 
Freedom, or Power given us to act or not to act, constitute 
our accountability ? For if we have no reason, how can 
we think, speak, or act aright ? And if our bodies are in 
every respect, fast bound, how can we act at all, except 
in our hearts or thoughts ? Are we not then, at all times, 
when possessed of reason and liberty to act or not to act^ 
accountable for our thoughts, words » and deeds ? 



PREFACE. V 

We sincerely hope that the Beauties of Primitive Chris- 
tianity may be universally known, and aid in cementing 
the great brotherhood of mankind into happy, charitable, 
united, friendly, virtuous societies^ and help to guide 
those societies, all future generations, and mankind indivi- 
dually and collectively, safely and joyfully along in the 
way which leads to their long sought, eternal rest ; — their 
final, happy home, the paradise of God. *' Ask, and it 
shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and 
it shall be opened unto you." 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren 
to dwell together in unity 1 It is like the precious oint- 
ment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even 
Aaron's beard : that went down to the skirts of his gar- 
ments : As the dew of HermoB, and as the dew that de- 
scended upon the mountains of Zion : for there the Lord 
commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. Psalm 
cxxxiii. 

We, therefore, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the 
vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowHness and 
meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in 
love ; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of PEACE, Eph. iv. 1, 2, 3. 

Finally, may universal Peace, Love, and Friendship 
spread and extend from clime to chme, and from shore to 
shore, and from sea to sea, and from heart to heart, ' till 
earth's grand family shall be of one heart and one soul ;' 
and, till '* all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation 
of the Lord ;" and the will of God be done in earth as it is 
in heaven, and sin and sorrow, vice, pain, and wo, be no 
more ; but celestial virtue and celestial happiness reign 
uncontrolled in every breast, in every heart, of the inhabi- 
tants of this terraqueous globe. That peace, virtue, and 
true religion may soon universally abound, is the constant 
and ever sincere prayer of The Friend to mankind. 

SETH LEOxVARD. 

Bethlehem^ June 22, j3. D. 1826, and A. L. 5825. 
1* 



-vi PREFACE. 

Be mute, m}^ pen, my tongue, my heart and hand, for 
erer, to all that's bad ; but nobly employed to contrive, 
speak, do, and write all that's good, heavenly, and divine 

/ *' Love the Lord thy God with all thy 
f^ Friend ! } heart :" 

( *' Love thy Neighbour as thyself.'* 

^ Fkiends ! \ " L°^'^ y^'' ^!'f''^' •' 
( Love all Mankmd. 

^^ I say unto you," said Christ, *' Love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 
and pray for them which despitefuliy use you, and perse- 
^ecute you : That ye may be the children of your Father 
which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the 
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on 
rhe unjust." 

Free salvation to all who believe in God and Christ ,, 
and practice every virtue. 

Christianity, that cause divine 1 

Leads to eternal joys above : 
It does with faith, hope, virtue shine, 

Founded on Charity and Love. 

^. L. 



CONTENTS. 



►♦•©•^ 



Page. 

Sketches of the Life of the Author, 13 

Virtue and virtuous deeds leading to happiness— 
contrasted with Vice and vicious deeds leading 
to misery, 18 

Hymn I. The Celestial Union, 19 

Chapter 1. — To Jews and Gentiles. 

The scriptures of the Old Testament, (as well as 
the New,) are the genuine writings of those 
whose names they bear, or to whom they are 
ascribed ; and give a true account of the Mosaic 
Dispensation, as well as of the Historical Facts^ 
the Divine Commands, the Moral Precepts, and 
the Prophecies which they contain, 21 

Chapter II. — To Jews and Gentiles. 

The Predictions delivered by the ancient Prophets, 
and fulfilled in our Saviour, show that he was the 
true MESSIAH expected by the Jews, and that 
he came into the world by Divine appointment, 
to be the Great Deliverer and Redeemer of man- 
kind, 2(> 
Chapter III. — To Jews and Gentiles. 

The books of the New Testsment were written by 
those persons to whom they are ascribed, and 
contain a faithful history of Christ and his reli- 
gion : And the account there given of both, may 
be securely relied on as strictly true, 29 

Chapter IV. — To Jews and Gentiles. 

The character of Christ, as represented in the gos- 
pel, affords substantial proof that he was a Di- 
vine person, 34 
Chapter V. — To Jews and Gentiles. 

The Miracles performed by Christ, demonstrate 
him to have possessed Divine power, 37 



viii CONTENTS. 

Chapter VI. — To Jews and Gentiles, 
The sublimity of Christ's Doctrine, and the purity 
of his Moral Precepts, confirm the belief of his 
Divine Mission, 40 

Hymn II. Christian Examples, 45 

Chap. VII. General view of the life of Christ, 46 

Chap. VIII. The depravity of man by sin ; and 

his recovery by the blood an(5 cross of J 

Christ, 49 ' 

Chap. IX. Resurrection of Christ, 51 

Hymn III. The Christian Sabbath, or the first day 

of the week, 52 

Chap. X. '*Godis no respecter of persons." 53 

Chap XI. " Pure religion," 54 

Chap. Xlf. Hope and Friendship, 56 

Chap. XIII. Society, 56 

Hymn IV. The Good Shepherd. 58 

Hymn V. Preacher's Farewell, 59 

Hymn VI. The Weary Soul, 60 

Hymn VII. Mourning soul. 61 

Hymn VIII. Christ's Invitation to his Friends, 62 

Hymn IX. On Baptism, 64 

Hymn X. Marriage Hymn, 65 

Hymn XI. Christ Baptised in Jordan, 65 

Hymn XII. On the Millennium, 66 

Chap. XIV. Some of Christ's Commandments, 

Words and Sayings, 68 

Chap. XV. Scripture Testimonies, 70 

Chap. XVI. Isaiah ix. 6. Illustrated by other 

passages of the Scriptures, 73 

Hymn Xlll. A General Invitation, 83 

Chap. XVII. Christianity and the Gospel, 84 

Chap. XVIII. General view of the belief and prac- 
tice of Christ's Friends : Being a sum- 
mary of the Doctrine and duties of the 
Christian Religion, 85 

.Se< . I. A correct path to be pursued, and a sure 
guide to be followed, to rightly believe 
in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 85 

Sec. II. Beliefconcerning Christ's Commandments, 

Words, Sayings, and Examples, 85 

"^Ec. III. Pre-eminent Virtues, Principles, Q,uahfi- 

cations, Duties and Ordinances, 85 



CONTENTS. h 

Sec. IV. The Scriptures — ^the pre-eminent wri- 
tings — Sketches of what they declare, 
teach, or hold forth, 94 

Sec. V. The best method to be pursued, in order 

to understand the Scriptures rightly, 97 

Sec. VI. The most appropriate descriptive Scrip- 
tural names given to the people and 
church of God, 9B 

Sec. VII. The Establishment and Government of 
God's Christian Church, on the prin- 
ciples of Equality, Justice, and Equity, 
consistent with the Rights of Man, 101 

Chap. XIX. Remarkable Contrasts and Parables — 

collected from the Scriptures, 108 

Hymn XIV. Morning, Noon, and Evening Devo- 
tion, 120 

Hymn XV. The existence of God, inferred from a 
view of the beauty and harmony of 
creation, 122 

Hymn XVJ. The Creation of the W^orld, 128 

Hymn XVII. The Creation of Adam and Eve—our 
First Parents : This once innocent, 
happy pair, disgraced by sin, and exiU 
ed from Eden, 123 

Hymn XVIII. The Deluge ; or the World distroy- 

ed by the Flood, 124 

Chap. XX. A public declaration of the Marriage 
Covenant lawfully solemnized, declar- 
ed, published, and made known, 1 25 

Chap. XXI. The public declaration ofthe Ordina- 
tion of Apostles, Bishops, Christian Mi- 
nisters, Teachers, Preachers, kc. 129 

Chap. XXII. Duties of Apostles, Bishops, Chris 

tian Ministers, &c. 1 3a 

Chap. XXIII. Scripture Proofs concerning God's 
and Christ's calling, appointing, com- 
missioning,ordaining, and sending Apos- 
tles, Teachers, Preachers, Minis- 
ters, &c. to preach the gospel, &c. 139 

Hymn XIX. Christ's Nativity, 142 

Chap. XXIV Explanatory and useful Remarks, 143 

Hymn XX. Ordination Hymn. Christ's Commis- 
sion to preach the Gospel. Matt, x, 1^ 

Hymn XXI. Relative Duties, I 



I 



f 



X CONTENTS. 

Chap. XXV. The Virtues — Brotherly Love, 
Truth, Prudence, Temperance, Jus- 
tice, Fortitude, and Charity explained, 159 
Sec. I. Brotherly Love, 159 

Sec. IL Truth, 159 

Sec. Ill Prudence, 160 

Sec. IV. Temperance, 161 

Sec. V. Justice, 163 

Sec. VI. Fortitude, 164 

Sec. VII. Charity, 165 

HvMN XXII. A Paraphrase on the First Epistle of 
Paul, the Apostle, to the Corinthians, 
Chap. xiii. 167 

Chap. XXVI. Moral and Christian Lessons taught, 
and Examples set mankind, by other 
animals and the works of Creation, 169 

Chap. XXVI I. Slavery and Priestcraft as viewed 

by some, 173 

Chap. XXVIIL The Creation, 179 

Chap. XXIX. Charitable opinions, concerning the 
four Grand Divisions of Religion ; viz. 

Judaism, Chrifitiunity,— Mohamme- 

dism, — and Paganism, leo 

Chap. XXX. The Philosophical Literary Union 
Society ; for promoting every Moral 
and Social Virtue, 183 

Chap. XXXI. The parable of the two Potters. 
The one was wise, and the other fool- 
ish, 191 
Chap. XXXII. The Parable of the two Kings ;— 
The one was wise, merciful and just ; 
and the other was foolish, cruel and 
unjust, 192 
Chap. XXXIII. The Parable of four men and four 
women, travelling through this world 
to the world of spirits. Two cities at 
the end of their journey : One called 
the city of flappiness ; the other, the 
city or abode of Misery, 1 95 
Chap. XXXIV The Prophecy of the peaceable 
Kingdom of the Branch out of the root 
of J esse ; and the restoration of Israel, 
Isaiah xi. 1—12, 199 
HAP. XXXV. The Comprehensive Prayer, 200 



CONTENNS. i^i 

Chap. XXXVL The Virtuous, 201 
Chap. XXXVIL The order of Pubhc Worship, 
preaching, &c. in populous assem- 
blies, &c. 202 
Chap. XXXVIII. 
Poetical Selections — Extracted from Sentimental Writings, 
Sec. I. The Creator's Works attest his greatness, 203 
Sec. II. The Universal Prayer, 204 
Sec. III. The Messiah, 205 
Sec. IV. The Creation required to Praise its Author, 208 
Sec. V. A Paraphrase on the latter part of the 6th 

chapter of St. Matthew, 210 

Sec. VI. Gloom of Autumn, 211 

Sec VII. Time, 213 

Sec VIII. The Order of Nature, 214 

Sec IX. Self-Love, 215 

Sec X. Reason's Comparing Balance, 219 
Sec XI. Tender Conversation between Adam and 

Eve, 223- 
Sec. XII. Eve's address to Paradise when expel- 
led from it, 225 
Sec XIII. Virtue and true Happiness are inseparable, 226 
Chap. XXXIX. May, in the style of Rural Poetry, 227 
Chap. XL. The Apostle Paul's noble defence, 228 
Chap. XLI. Who are blessed, and how to obtain 

Eternal Life, 230 

Chap. XLII. An Oration on Knowledge, 231 

Chap XLIIl. Diligence in Youth, 239 

Chap. XLIV. Description of Night, 234 

Chap. XLV. The Withered Rose, 235 

Chap. XLVI. Virtuous Education, 235 
Chap. XLVII. True Philosophy, or the Secret 

of being always contented, 236 
Chap. XLVill. The Shortness of Man's Life, 237 
Chap, XLIX. The Office of Christ, the Restoration 
of the Jews, and the Blessedness of 
the Church, 238 
Chap. L. The accomplishment of God's Pro- 
mise to his Church, and Ministers in- 
vited to faithfulness, 239 
Chap. LI. A Sermon on the manner of praising 
God. *' Rejoice in the Lord, O ye 
righteous ; for praise is comely for the 
upright," 240 



xii CONTENTS. 

Chap* LIL A Sermon on the Variety of Opinions 
about Christ. " When Jesus came in- 
to the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he 
asked his disciples, saying, Whom do 
men say that I the Son of man, am ? 
And they said, Some say that thou art 
John the Baptist ; some Elias, and oth- 
ers Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 
He saith unto them, But whom say ye 
that I am ? And Simon Peter answer- 
ed and said, Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the living God. And Jesus an- 
swered and said unto him. Blessed art 
thou, Simon Barjona ; for flesh and 
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, 
but my Father which is in heaven," 25^ 

Chap. LI II. A Sermon on the Necessity of Uni- 
versal Obedience. " Whosoever shall 
keep the whole law, and yet offend in 
one point, he is guilty of all," 

Chap. LIV. An exhortation to praise God, to seek 
him, and remember his works. God's 
providence over Abraham^ over Jo- 
seph, over Israel in Egypt, oTer Moses 
delivering the Israelites, and over his 
people brought out of Egypt, fed in 
the wilderness, and planted in Canaan, 294 

Chap. LV. The Creator is to be remembered in 
the days of youth, and m^ist not be de- 
ferred. The Preacher's care to edify. 
The reverential fear of God the chief 
concern of men, 2^6 

Chap. LVL A new heaven and a new earth. The 
blessedness of Gods people. The 
judgment of the wicked. A descrip- 
tion of the heavenly Jerusalem, 297 

Chap. LVII. The river and tree of life. The 
glorious state of God's servants. The 
angel will not be worshipped. Wor- 
ship God. Nothing may be added to 
or taken from this prophecy, 29S 

Benediction, 3C 



THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 



1. Friend Seth Leonard, was born, June 22, A. D. 
1789, in the town of Briigewater, county of Plymouth, and 
State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America. 
He received the principal part of his education m the 
State of Vermont. The principal part of his life, thus 
far, after he had received his education, has been employ- 
ed in teaching the various branches of literature, and, for 
many years before, and while writing this book, he was em 
ployed as a public teacher in the State of New-York. 

2. He is one of the seven sons of Dr. Nathan Leon« 
ard. He has six brothers, and six sisters. His father was 
also born in Bridgewater, Mass. Anstress Leonard, his me- 
ther, the only child of Noah Kent, was born in Rehobotb, 
Massachusetts. j i .• 

3. He was under very serious, powertul, and lasting 
awakenings, impressions, and convictions, when about four- 
teen years old. He was converted from nature's darkness 
to God's marvellous light ; from the power of sin and sa- 
tan to God ; from nature to grace ; born again, initiated 
into, and became a member of the kingdom, and family of 
Christ-God's Church, his soul filled with glory, love, and 
happiness, to the inexpressible joy of his heart, when about 
sixteen years of age. He then immediately embraced, 
and publicly professed the christian religion, and lived in 
\ae happy enjoyment of this heavenly gift of God to men. 

4. He searched the scriptures daily ; and without ceas- 
ing, prayed to God to direct him in the duty of baptism, 
and to direct him in all other moral, religious and social 
duties and ordinances, which God requires of men. And,, 
as soon as, after his conversion, he saw his duty clearly, 
concerning baptism, he was baptized in White River, by 
Thomas Skeel, a preacher of the gospel, " and he went 
on his way rejoicing." i . • 

5. A brief account of his conversion and call to the min- 
istry. I was, says he, (as he has often declared ia m«ny 

2 



14 Sketches of tlu JJfe 

populous assemblies, and in private conversation,) awa- 
kened, as you shall hear, in the manner following, viz : 
When I wag about fourteen years old, I went one day into a 
field of clover to pick and heap some stone that was among 
the grass. While 1 was busily employed in this work, 1 
became as it were almost insensible to what I was doing, 
hardly knowing where I was ; when, lo 1 instantly there 
shone around about me a light above the brightness of the 
sun. It appeared to be in a circular form, at the distance 
of about ten yards, equally distant from me, which light 
I could plainly distinguish from the shining of the sun, as it 
was much brighter. While I was thinking on this strange 
appearance, hardly knowing whether I was in the body or 
out, I heard, as it appeared to me, a voice in the air, say- 
ing unto me, Go down to the house, and warn thy broth- 
ers and sisters to seek salvation. Three of them were old- 
er, and the rest younger than myself They were then 
in the house. 1 left my work, and went immediately to 
the house, but as I entered the room where they were, ) 
found them very merry, telling stories, jesting and laugh- 
ing heartily ; on this account 1 passed through into another 
room, and sat me down to weep, tears fast trickling down 
my cheeks, accompanied with deep sighs and bitter lamen- 
tations. After this, when alone, I would resolve that I would 
warn not only my brothers and sisters, but every body I see. 
to break off their sins by righteousness, and repent of their 
wickedness, and live holy to God. Though these resolu- 
tions were formed perhaps hundreds of times, yet they 
were not put in execution for two years. In which time 1 
lived a sober, melancholy life ; yet 1 attended to my school 
and other employments, as usual, but did not join in plays, 
merriments, recreations, or amusements ; but was, as it 
were, by myself A great portion of my time was spent in 
deep meditation about God, the works of God, and religion, 
searching the scripture daily, and trying to understand 
them rightly. At the time of my first awakening I thought 
I was the worst of sinners. My sins rose before me like 
mountains. These convictions continued more or less 
with me until I found salvation to the inexpressible joy of 
my soul. But at times these convictions partially wore 
away ; but at other times would return more powerful than 
ever. I often prayeci, saying, O I God have mercy on me, 
and convert my soul — let me have some revelation from 
heaven, or send some kind angel to convince me of the 



Of the Author, 16 

realities of religion, yet I believed there was a religion 
%vhich might be enjoyed by men, though I did not enjoy it. 
At length one day after a long meditation and earnest pray- 
er, as I walked along, I came to a beautiful grove of but- 
ternuts, and the earth spread with a thick carpet of grass ; 
here I kneeled down, and addressed the throne of grace, 
saying, Here I am a poor wicked sinner, have mercy on 
me, I give myself away, it is all I can do. 

6. When, lo ! instantly I heard, m it appeared to me, a 
voice from heaven, saying, Thy sins are forgiven thee. 
My heart, in a moment, was filled with that happiness 
which the wit of man cannot describe, nor the tongue of 
angels express. I arose from my humble position, and all 
around me appeared glorious — all nature seemed to re- 
joice, and sing praise to God in the highest strains ; and I 
shouted aloud for joy, sayina^. Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good will towards men. My rejoice* 
ing and praises to Almighty God made the woods re-echo 
with my loud hallelujahs. My tongue was loosed, and 
to the first person I saw, I declared how great things 
the Lord had done for my soul. I then commenced the 
work to which God had called me ; testifying to all the 
realities of religion, and exhorting them to turn to God 
with full purpose of heart, to repent of their past sins, and 
commit no more, and bring forth fruits meet for repent- 
ance. 

7. Then, after this, for a long time, the following impres- 
sions seemed to be all the time in my mind, sounding in my 
ears, viz : Go, preach the gospel to the world of mankind. 
At other times the following words would come to me, Woe 
is me if I preach not the gospel. These two heavenly in- 
junctions frequently came alternately with great force upon 
my mind. At length I concluded to comply with what ap- 
peared plainly to be my duty. 1 told it to some, and ac- 
cordingly there was a meeting appointed for me. I at- 
tended, and spake to a numerous crowd of people. But 
it appeared to me that my abilities were so small, my man- 
ner and expression so flat and insipid, that it could not be 
that I was called to preach the gospel. Therefore I re- 
fused to attend another meeting in this way for a long time, 
though often urged to do it. Some years passed away and 
I attended to my studies ; and at length I grew cold in re- 
ligion, and I almost neglected to attend to my former de^ 



16 Sketches of the Life 

V'olions : the spirit seemed to have been withdrawn fromf 
me, and at length I neglected my duty entirely. 

8, But oftentimes I would be alarmed at my situation, anti 
would begin to pray, and then I would have some hope.< 
and some consolation. Then I would be determined to 
take up my cross, and do my duty. Thus many years of 
my life passed along, my time constantly employed in the 
things of this world. Sometimes serious, and attending 
meetings, and trying to preach ; and then again neglecting 
my duty, and becoming indifferent to the matters of reli- 
gion. Ai length, however, God again blessed and called 
me to arise and let my light shine, and not suffer the talent 
he had given me to lie any longer buried in the earth. 

9. Sol finally determined to, and earnestly prayed to God 
I might for ever bid the world adieu, as it respects earthly 
riches, or sinful pleasures, and w^holly devote my time, my 
all to the good and final happiness of my fellow mortals, \ 
and to the honour, praise, and glory of that God, in whom 
I put my trust, and who, out of his tender mercies, has 
called me from nature's darkness to his marvellous light. 

1. Note BY the FRiENDS.-He is a man of uncommon mild^* 
ness of temper of a tender heart, not easily provoked to an- 
ger, or wrath, but of a forgiving disposition. The needy al* 
ways find relief in him, if it is in his power to help them. 
Though he seemed not to repine at the many perplexing 
scenes, disappointments, troubles and misfortunes he has 
passed through, yet it is evident that they were the primary 
causes which for many years prevented him from preaching; 
yet he still showed the same mildness of temper. His neg- 
lect of his duty in preaching, doubtless was the cause of his 
being left to himself; and then he ran into an indifference 
in matters of religion. At length he was brought to see 
himself again : and then he began to reflect on his past 
life, and wept bitterly. He then said, I must take heed 
to my ways, lest after I have preached to others, I, my- 
self be a cast away. 

2. Being asked, one day, if he could give any directions for 
the cure of drunkenness, readily replied that he could. He 
said that the following method, if practiced, would effect- 
ually cure any person of this disorder, however bad they 
may have the disease. He then goes on to give the direc- 
tion, which is as follows, viz : Those who are in a habit of 
frequently drinking to excess, and have an uncommon 
thirst or hankering for it, must leave it off entirely, unless 



Of the Mthor. 17 

they can govern their appetites to a quantity that will not 
injure them. This plan will have the desired effect. He 
then lifted up his hands and said, May peace, love, harmo- 
ny, and true religion spread universally over the four 
quarters of the earth ; may the four cardinal virtues. Pru- 
dence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude, be strictly fol- 
lowed and possessed by all mankind ; may every moral 
and every social virtue, and every truly religious principle 
actuate every person within the four cardinal points ; may 
the four grand divisions of religion become purified, as 
the gold seven times tried, or refined in the fire, that what- 
ever is wrong or erroneous in them, may be laid aside, 
and nothing but purity itself remain ; that the happiness of 
man might abound, and God be glorified. 



2* 



(jf^BE VIRTUOUS BKAR MUCH GOOD FRUIT. 



u u 



ha 



03 



Repentance. 

Faith, Belief, 

Hope. 

Charity, Liberality. 

Love. 

Humility. 

Condescension. 

Self denial of all ungodliness, 

Selfdenial of all unrighteousness. 

Innocence, Harmlessness, 

Prayer, 

Heavenly mindedness, 

Fidelity, Integrity, 

Constancy, 

True worship. 

Pure and undefiled religioD, 

Righteousness, 

Holiness, Godliness, 

Love to God, 

Love to friends. 

Love to neighbours, 

Love to enemies, 

Love to all mankind, 

Love to Christ, 

Christ's Friends, 

Friends of God, 

Wisdom, Heavenly wisdom. 

Contemplation, 

Justice, 

Benevolence, Generosity, 

Correctness, Plaiu-heartedness, 

Industry, 

Purity, 

Diligence, 

Goodness, 

Sincere conversation, 

Instructive conversation, 

Truth, 

Blessing, 

Compassion, Pity, 

Tender-heartedness, 

Cheerfulness, 

Mercy, 

Thankfulness, 

Pure heart. Piety, 

Temperance, 

Quietness, Moderation, 

Prudence, 

Peace, 

Reconciliation, 

Uniformity, Candour, 

Resignation, 

Honesty, 

Alms, 

Meekness, 

Forgivenessi 

Patience, 

Pitifulness, 

Mildness, 

Praising God, 

Good will. 

Friendship, 

Fasting, 

Chastity, 

Sobriety, 

Doing good, 

Perseverance, 

Virtue, 

Virtuous deeds, 

Joy, 

Happiness, Eternal rest and glory, 

Heaven, Eternal salvation. 



Impenitence, Procrastination* 

Unbelief, Disbelief, Faithless. 

Doubt. 

Covetousness, Stinginess. 

Hatred. 

Pride, Boasting, High-mindedness. 

Stubbornness, Self-will. 

Self gratification in all ungodliness. 

Self gratification in unrighteousness. 

Guiltiness, defiled with wickedness. 

Blasphemy, Filthy conversation. 

Mischievous evil thoughts. 

Unfaithfulness, Promise-breaking. 

Inconstancy. 

Idolatry, Superstition, & Tradition. 

Delusion. Heresy, and Bigotry, 

Unrighteousness, 

Ungodliness, Unholiness. 

Hatred to God. 

Hatred to friends. 

Hatred to neighbours. 

Hatred to enemies. 

Hatred to all mankind. 

Hatred to Christ. 

Christ's enemies. 

Enemies of God. 

Ignorance, wilful ignorance. 

Thoughtlessness. 

Injustice, Deceit. 

Ni^gardness, Ungenerousness* 

Lymg, Deception, Gambling* 

Slothfulness, Laziness. 

Impurity. 

Idleness. 

Wickedness, 

Foolish jesting, trifling conversation. 

Idle talking, wicked conversation. 

Falsehood, false witness. 
Cursing, Swearing. 

Unfeeling disposition of heart, 
Hard-heartedness. 

Melancholy. 

Unmercifulness. 

Unthankfulness, 

Impure heart. Impiety. 

Intemperance, Excess. 

Unquietness, Wrath, Rashness. 

Imprudence, Wastefulness, 

Quarrel, War. 

Stiife, wicked contention. 

Backbiting, Slander. 

Unreconciledness, Unresignedness. 

Dishonesty, Theft, Fraud, Knavery. 

Oppression. 

Haughtiness, high-minded disposi'on. 

Revenge. 

Impatient, Fretfulness. 

Rashness. 

Cruelty. 

Cursing God, Swearing. 

Ill-will, Malice. 

Envy, 

Gluttony. 

Adultery, Fornication, 

Drunkenness. 

Doing evil. 

Despair, Murder. 

Vice. 

Vicious deeds. 

Sorrow, Torment, Wretchedness. 

Misery. 

Hell, Eternal damnation. 



^ 



or? 



a o 






2 



g 



(jp^BE NOT VICIOUS BEAR NO EVIL FRUIT. 



BEAUTZES 



PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY : 

OR, THE 

JUVKIImIAJECST AKD SUPPXiBBKSKTAIlir OVXPE. 



HYMN I. 

THE CELESTIAL UNION. 

1 ♦ Come citizens and friends so dear 
Who can assist to sing, draw near : 
If any will not, lend an ear, 
Yet we will banish hate and fear 
And live in heavenly Union. 

2. Why should the Turk the Jew contemn, 
The Jew the Christian reprehend ; 
And Christians every sect condemn. 
But those who think alike with them. 

And thus destroy this Union ? 

3. Why quarrel thus about a name, 
Are not saints ev'ry where ihe same. 
And all are more or less to blame, — 
But those are sure deserving fame 

Who promote Christian Union ? 

4. If God be Father of us all 

And plac'd us on this earthly ball, 
Should not Christians great and small 
Each one the other brother call, 
And live in friendly Union ? 

$. No parents can delight to see, 
Their children plung'd in misery ; 
But rather they should happy be 
And live in love and harmony, 
And thus cement this Union. 



%0 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ 4*c. 

6. The Christian's path, if we attend, 
Will guide us safely to the end ; 
Then every soul let us befriend, 
And charity to all extend, 

And thus complete this Union, 

7. Soon may this be the joyful case 
When hatred, discord, for ever cease. 
And love and everlasting Peace, 
Reign unconfin'd in every place. — 

The Celestial Union. 



Some for this Creed, some for that Creed ! 
Some for no Creed, some agree ! 
Yet may mankind all be united, 
And live in Love, Peace, Purity. 

'* For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn 
the world ; but that the world through him might be sav- 
ed.-' The door is, therefore, opened, the way is describ- 
ed, the true light hath appeared, and the true Messiah hath 
come — through him we " can obtain the salvation which 
is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." 



4 



CHAPTER I. 
TO JEWS AND GENTILES. 



The Scriptures of the Old Testament, (a$ well as the JSTete,) 
are the genuine writings of those whose names they bear, 
or to whom they are ascribed, and give a true account of 
the Mosaic Dispensation, as well as of the Historical 
Facts, the Divine Commands, the Moral Precepts, and 
the Prophecies which they contain, 

1. That part of the Bible, which is called the scrip- 
lures of the Old Testament, contains a great variety of ve- 
ry different compositions, some historical, some poetical, 
some moral and preceptive, some prophetical ; written 
at different times, and by different persons, and collected 
into one volume by the care of the Jews. 

2. That these books were all written by those who^e 
names they bear, or to whom they are ascribed, there is 
not the least reasonable ground to doubt. They have 
been always considered as the writings of those persons 
by the whole Jewish nation, (and the Jews were most in- 
terested in their authenticity , and most likely to know the 
truth,) from the earliest times down to the present : and 
no proof to the contrary has ever yet been produced. 

3. That these writings have come down to us in the 
same state, or with the same sense and meaning, in which 
they were originally written, as to all essential points, there 
is every reason to beheve. The original manuscripts 
were long preserved among the Jews. A copy of the 
book of the law was preserved in the ark ; it was ordered 
to be read publickly every seven years, at the feast of the 
tabernacles, as well as privately, and frequently, in everv 
Jewish family. 

Note. — I cheerfully take this opportunity of gratefully acknowledging-, 
that, in the course of this work, I have extracted many passages of scrip- 
ture and put them together so as to harmonize and explain each other. I 
have also extracted some from eminent, amiable, elegant, worthy, modern 
writers. I have quoted the scriptures as they are in the present version, 
and have marked them with appropriate quotations, as may be seen in the 
course of this work I have not, however, marked the extracts which I 
have made or taken from other writings : — This was done with a view to 
distinguish the quotations from the scriptures, from all other writings. 



52 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

4. There is a copy still extant, of the five books Of 
Moses, which are called the Pentateuch, taken by the Sa- 
maritans, who were bitter enemies to the Jews, and al- 
ways at a variance with them ; and this copy agrees, in 
sll material instances, with the Jewish copy. 

6. Near three hundred years before Christ, these scrip* 
tares were translated into Greek, and this version, called 
the Septuagent, agrees also in all essential articles with 
the Hebrew original. This being very widely spread over 
the world, rendered any considerable alteration extreme- 
ly difficult : And the dispersion of the Jews into all the 
different regions of the globe, made it next to impossible. 

6. The Jews were always remarkable for being most 
faithful guardians of their sacred books, which they trans- 
lated repeatedly, and compared most carefully with the 
originals, and of which they even numbered the words and 
letters. That they have not corrupted any of their pro- 
phetical writing appears from hence ; that we prove Je- 
sus to be the true Messiah from many of those very pro- 
phecies which they have themselves preserved. Their 
invincible fidelity to their sacred books led them to pre- 
serve them pure, and not to suffer them to be altered or 
suppressed under any consideration whatever. And their 
credit is still further established by this circumstance, 
that our Saviour, though he brings many heavy charges 
against the Scribes and Pharisees, yet never uuce accuses 
them of corrupting or falsifying any one of their sacred 
writings. 

7 It is beyond a doubt certain, that these writings give 
a true and faithful account of the various mattiers which 
they contain. Many of the principal facts and circumstan- 
ces related in them, are mentioned by the most ancient 
heathen authors. The first origin and creation of the 
world out of chaos, as described by Moses ; the formation 
of the sun, the moon, and stars, and afterwards of man 
himself; the dominion given him over other animals ; the 

Note by the friends.— This book was selected, arranged, compiled, 
and written with great care, much charity, and unwearied pains, by Fbiend 
Seth Leonard, for the benefit, good, and happiness of mankind,— keeping 
in view the glory, praise, and true worship of God. And it is hoped that it 
will be, on strict, impartial, candid, and thorough examination, found to be 
*' pi'ofitable, for doctrine," "for instruction in righteousness," "that the 
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."— 
And that Jews and Gentiles " might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son 
of God, the true Messiah," " and that believing ye might have life through 
his name," and "rejoice with exceeding great joy." 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 23 

completion of this great work in six days ; the destructioD 
of the world by the deluge ; the circumstance of the ark 
and the dove ; the punishment of Sodom by fire ; the an- 
cient rite of circumcision ; many particulars relating to 
Moses ; the giving of the law, and the Jewish ritual ; the 
names of David and Solomon, and their leagues with the 
Tyrians, these things and many others of the same sort, 
are expressly mentioned, or plainly alluded to, in several 
Pagan authors of the highest antiquity and the best credit* 

8. And a very bitter enemy of the Jews, as well as of 
Christians, the emperor Julian, is, by the force of evi- 
dence, compelled to confess, that there were many per** 
sons among the Jews divinely inspired ; and that fire from 
heaven descended on the sacrifices of Moses and Elijah. 
Add to this, that the references made to the books of the 
Old Testament, and the passages quoted from them by our 
Saviour and his Apostles, is a plain proof that they ac* 
knowledged the authority of these writings, and the vera- 
city of their authors. 

9. It is true, indeed, that in the historical books of the 
Old Testament, there are some bad characters and bad ac- 
tions recorded, and some very cruel deeds described ; but 
these things are mentioned as mere historical facts, and by 
no means approved or proposed as examples to others. 
And excepting these passages, which are comparatively 
few in number, the rest of those sacred books, more espe- 
dally Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, 
and the Prophets, are full of very sublime representations 
of God and his Attributes ; of very excellent rules for the 
conduct of life, and examples of almost every virtue that 
can adorn human nature. 

Note by the Friends. — The Bible, as a book, may be compared to tht 
Wor'.d — both animal and vegetable. As the world contains a great variety 
of herbs, fruits and flowers, some very useful, and some not so useful— a 
great variety of hills and dales, barren and fruitful soils — a great variety of 
trees, shrubs and bubhes, some bearing very good, and some not so good 
fruit — a great variety of beasts, fish, fowls inseeta and reptiles, some very 
useful for man, and some not so useful — some very peaceable, harmless and 
docile, and some very turbulent, voracious and war-like. Of these varie- 
ties of creation a wise man can select enough for his aid, support, comfort 
and use. So it is with the Bible : it contains a very iireat variety of wri- 
tings, some big with very useful instructions, some more barren and less 
useful. But as the high barren mountains, and the barren wastes, serve 
to hold the world together, so the less important parts of the Bible serve to 
hold it together, and not to suffer the great chain to be defective or brokem 
And if man would follow or adhere to the dictates of wisdom, he mi<»-ht 
select enough out of the writings of the Bible to direct him in the right way, 
in every station of life. The Beauties of Primitive Christianity may be co/Ti« 



24 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

10. And these things were written at a time when all 
the rest of the world, even the wisest and most learned^ 
and most celebrated nations of the earth, were sunk in the 
grossest ignorance of God and true religion ; were wor- 
shipping idols, brute beasts, and works of their own hands, 
and indulging themselves in the most abominable vices. 

11. It is a most singular circumstance, that a people in 
a remote, obscure part of the world, very inferior to seve- 
ral heathen nations in learning, in philosophy, in genius, 
in science, and in all the polite arts, should yet be so infi- 
nitely their superiors in their ideas of the Supreme Being, 
and in every thing relating to morality and religion. This 
can be accounted for, no otherwise, than on the supposition 
of their having been led to these things by the Spirit of 
God, and of their having been really favoured with those 
divine revelations, which are recorded in the books of 
the Old Testament. 

12. With respect to the prophecies which they contain, 
the truth of a great part of these has been infallibly prov- 
ed by the exact fulfilment of them in subsequent ages, such 
as relating to our Saviour, (which will be hereafter taken 
notice of and specified,) to Babylon, to Egypt, to Edom, 
to Tyre and Sidon. But those which refer more partic- 
ularly to the dispersion of the Jews are so very numerous 
and clear, and the accomplishment of them, in the present 
state of the Jews, is a fact which obtrudes itself, at this 
moment, so irresistibly upon our senses, that we cannot 
forbear presenting to the reader some of the most remark* 
able of those predictions. 

13. It was foretold by Moses, that when the Jews for- 
sook the true God, '* they should be removed into all the 
kingdoms of the earth, should be scattered among the hea- 
then, among all people, from one part of the earth even 
unto the other ; should become an astonishment, a pro- 
verb, and a by-word, among all nations ; and, that among 
those nations they should find no ease, neither should the^ 

pared to the best selection of the best of the fruits of the earth, all well se- 
lected of the choicest kind, all instructive and useful, all edifying and im- 
portant, all suited to the capacity and state of nnan, all tending to the pre- 
sent and future happiness ©fall who will adhere to the important instruc- 
tions, precepts and doctrine therein contained. And as Christ was born ia 
Bethlehem, so the writer and compiler of the Beauties of Primitive Chris- 
tianity, was called out of Bethlehem, to publish this book to the world, to 
unite the whole human family in matters of religion; and thus to form one 
grand, united, virtuous family and brotherhood of all the kingdoms, nations 
and people of the cartll* 



Tlie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 25 

sole of their foot have rest ; but the Lord should give 
them a trembling heart, and a failing of eyes, and sorrow 
of mind, and send a faintness into their hearts in the land 
of their enemies ; so that the sound of a shaken leaf should 
chase them."* 



1. i ^i*?,^^"?® *'"°S'. '^'"^ contmually predicted through 
all the following prophets: "That God would disperse 
them through the countries of the heathen ; that he would 
sitt them among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve • 
that in all the kingdoms of the earth, whither thev should 
be driven, they should be a reproach and a proverb a 
taunt and a curse, and an astonishment and a hissing ; and 
that they should abide many days without a king, and with- 
out a prince, and without a scribe, and without an image, 
and %vithout an ephod, and without a teraphim."! 

16 Had any thing like this, in the time of Moses o^- of 
the prophets, ever happened to any nation in the world " 
Or was there ,n nature any probability that any such thing 
should ever happen to any people ? That when they werf 
conquered by their enemies, and led into captivity, thev 
should neiher contmue in the place of their captivit/ 
nor be swaUowed up and lost among their conquerers, but 
be scattered among all the nations of the world, and hated 
and persecuted by all nations for many ages, and yet con- 
tinue a distinct people? Or could any description of the 
Jews, written at this day, be a more^xact and lively pict 
ture of the state they have now been in for manyag^s 
than those prophetic descriptions, especially that of Mo! e ' 
given more than three thousand years ago ? ' 

B^i^\!: !^^^- f^^f /-"--..IS. Ezek.«.34. 
sea,ui.4. ■"'"os, ii. ». Jer.mv. 9, Jer. sxv. 18. Mix. 18. Ho- 



CHAPTER II. 
TO JEWS AND GENTILES. 



T%e predictions delivered by the ancient prophets^ andfuU 
filled in our Saviour, shozo) that h^ was the true Messiah 
expected by the Jews, and that he came into the world by 
divine appointment , to be the Great Deliverer and Redeem^ 
et of mankind. 

1. The word Messiah signifies anointed ; that is, a per- 
soti appointed to sonne high station, dignity, or office ; be- 
cause originally among the eastern nations, men so ap- 
pointed, particularly kings, priests, and prophets, were 
anointed with oil. Hence the word Messiah means the 
person pre-ordained and appointed by God himself, to be 
the great deliverer of the Jewish nation ; and not only of 
the Jewish nation, but the Redeemer of all mankind. 
The word Christ means the same thing ; that is, anoint' 
ed : and the word Jesus means Saviour, as it is recorded, 
'* And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his 
name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their 
sins."* 

2. Now it was foretold concerning the Messiah, or Shi- 
loh, that he should come before the sceptre departed from 
Judah, that is, before the Jewish government was destroy- 
ed ;t and accordingly Christ appeared a short time before 
the period when the Jewish government was totally over- 
thrown by the Romans. 

3. It was foretold, that he should come before the de- 
struction of the second temple. " The desire of all na- 
tions shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith 
the Lord of Hosts ; the glory of this latter house shall be 
greater than of the former. "+ Accordingly Christ appear- 
ed some time before the destruction of the city and the 
temple of Jerusalem by the Romans. 

4. It was foretold that he should come at the end of 
four hundred and ninety years after the re-building of Je- 
rusalem, which had been laid waste during the captivity of 
the Jews in Babylon, and that he should be cut off; and j 
that afterwards the city and sanctuary of Jerusalem should 

* Matt. i. 21. t Gen. xlix. 10. | Haggai ii. 7, 9. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 27 

be destroyed and made desolate.* And accordingly, at 
what time soever the beginning of the four hundred and 
ninety years, can, according to any fair interpretation of 
the words, be fixed, the end of them will fall about the 
time of Christ's appearing : and it is well known how en- 
tirely the city and sanctuary were destroyed by the Ro- 
mans some years after he was cut off and crucified, 

5. It was foretold, that he should perform many great 
and beneficial miracles ; that the eyes of the blind should> 
be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped ; that the 
lame man should leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb 
sing ;t and this we know was literally fulfilled in the mir- 
acles of Christ ; the blind received their sight, the lame 
walked, the deaf heard. 

6. It was foretold, that he should die a violent, ignomi- 
nious death, that he should be wounded for our transgres- 
sions, and bruised for our iniquities ; that the chastisement 
of our peace should be upon him ; and that with his 
stripes we should be healed ; that God would lay on him 
the iniquity of us all.]: All which was exactly accomplish- 
ed in the sufferings of Christ, '* who died for our sins, th'g 
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God."§ 

7. It was foretold, that to him should the gathering of 
the people be ; and that God would give him the heathen 
for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for 
his possessions, II which was, or will be punctually fulfilled 
by the wonderful success of the gospel, and its universal 
propagation through the world. 

8. Lastly, many minuter circumstances were told of the 
great Spiritual Deliverer, or Redeemer that was to come : 
That he should be born of a virgin ; that he should be of 
the tribe of Judah and the seed of David ; that he should 
be born in the town af Bethlehem ; that he should ride 
upon an ass in humble triumph into the city of Jerusalem ; 
that he should be a man of sorrows, and acquainted with 
grief; that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver ; 
that he should be scourged, buffetted, and spit upon ; that 
he should be numbered with the transgressors, that is, 
should be crucified, as he was, between two thieves ; that 
he should have gall and vinegar given him to drink ; that 
they who saw him crucified should mock at him, and at 

* DarL ix. 25, 2G. xii. 11. Jer. xxvii. 22. 
f Isaiah xxxv. 5, 6 

t Iftaiab liii, throughout, and Dan. ix. 26. 
5 iPet.iii. 18. || Psalm ii. 8. 



28 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or^ 

his trusting in God to deliver him ; that the soldiers should 
cast lots for his garments ; that he should make his grave 
with the rich ; and that he should rise again without see- 
ing corruption.* All these circumstances, it is well known, 
were foretold, and, to the greatest possible exactness, ful- 
filled in the person of Christ. 

9. What now shafl we say to these things ? Here are 
upwards of twenty diiOferent particulars, many of them of 
?^very extraordinary nature, which, it was foretold, seven 
hundred years before our Saviour was born, would all 
meet in him, and which did all actually meet in his person. 

10. Is not this a most extraordinary consideration ? — 
There are but three possible suppositions that can be 
made concerning it : either that this was a mere fortuitous 
coincidence, arising entirely from chance and accident, or 
that these prophecies were written after the event* had ta- 
ken place ; or lastly, that they were real predictions, de- 
livered many years before these events came to pass, and 
all fulfilled in Christ. That any one should by chance hit 
upon so many things, which should all prove true, and 
prove true concerning one and the same person, though 
several of them were of such a nature as were unlikely to 
happen singly, and by far the greater part of which had 
never before happened singly to any person whmtever ; 
this, exceeds all bounds of credibility, and all power of 
conjecture or calculation. 

1 1 . That these prophecies were not written or deliv- 
ered after the things predicted had happened, is most cer- 
tain ; because they are found in books which existed long 
before these events came to pass, that is, in the books of the 
Old Testament; and the Jews themselves acknowledge 
that these prophecies were in these books exactly as we 
now see them many hundred years before Christ came in- 
to the world. 

12. The b'ooks themselves were in their own keeping, 
who would undoubtedly take effectual care that nothiryg 
should be fraudulently inserted in them. The Jews were 
our librarians. The prophecies were in their custody, 
and are read in all their copies of the Old Testament as 
well as in ours. They have never called in question or 
doubted their authenticity. 

* Isaiah vii. 14; Mich, v.; Zech. ix. 9; Isaiah liii. 3,; Zech xi. 
12; Isaiah 1. 6; Isaiah Ilii. 12; Psalm ixix. 21 ; PsaUii xxii- 7,8, 18 ; 
Isaiah liii. 9. Psalm xvi. JO. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 29 

13. It remains then, that these are all real predictions, 
<\\\ centering in our Saviour, and in him only, and delivered 
many centuries before he was born. As no one but God, 
or those inspired by him, has the Certain knowledge|of fu- 
ture events, it is from him that these prophecies paust have 
proceeded, and with him originated; and they, show, of 
course, that Christ was the person whom God had prede- 
termined to send into the world to be the Great Deliverer, 
Redeemer, and Saviour of mankind, as it is recorded in the 
Scriptures, " And many more believed, because of his 
own words ;" saying, *^ for we have heard him ourselves, 
and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the 
world. 



CHAPTER III. 
TO JEWS AND GENTILES 



The *books of the New Testament were written %y those per- 
sons to whom they are ascribed^ and contain a faithful 
history of Christ and his Religion : And the account there 
given of both, may be securely relied on as strictly true. 

1 . The books which contain the history of Christ, and 
of the Christian religion, are the four Gospels, as they are 
commonly called, and the Acts of the Apostles. That the 
four books which contain the gospel were written by the 
persons whose n.ames they bear, namely, Matthew, Mark, 
Luke and John, there is no more reason to doubt, than 
there is that any good well authenticated histories were 
written by those persons whose names they bear, viz : 
Livy, Xenophon, or Tacitus, or any other more modern 
historian. 

2. A great many passages are alluded to, or quoted from, 
the Evangelists, exactly as we read them now, by a regular 
succession of Christian writers, from the time of the 
Apostles down to this hour ; and at a very early period 
their names are mentioned as the authors of their respec- 
tive writings ; which is more than can be said in favour of 
the authenticity of any other ancient historian whatever, 

3* 



30 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ ar^ 

for 60 long a time, except the historians or writers of the 
ancient scriptures. 

3. These books have always been considered by the 
^ole Christian world, from the Apostolic age, as contain 
ing a faithful history of their religion ; and, therefore, the; 
ought to be received as such ; just as we allow the 01 
Testament to contain a genuine account of the Jews, ii 
former ages, and the manner of their worship, &c. 

4. That all the facts related in these writings, and thi 
accounts given of those things which oui^ Saviour said an( 
did, are also strictly true, we have the most substantia! 
grounds for believing. 

6. For, in the first place, the writers had the very besi 
means of information, and could not possibly be deceives 
themselves. 

6. And, in the next place, they could have no conceiva- 
ble inducement for imposing upon others. 

7. St. Matthew and St. John were two of our Lord 
Apostles ; his constant companions and attendants through^ 
out his whole ministry. They were actually present ati 
the scenes which they describe ; eye-witnesses of the fact 
and ear-witnesses of the discourses, which they relate. 

8. St. Mark and St. Luke were the cotemporaries am 
companions of Apostles, and in habits of society and friend 
&hip with those who had been present at the transactions 
which they record. St. Luke expressly says this in the 
beginning of his history, which opens with these words ; 
'' For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in 
order a declaration of these things which are most surely 
believed amongst us ; even as they delivered them unto us, 
which from the beginning were eye-witnesses^ and minis- 
(ersofthe word, it seemed good to me^ also, having had 
perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to 
write unto thee, in order, most excellent Theophilus, that 
thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherei 
thou hast been instructed." 

9. St. Luke also being the author, under God, of the 
Acts of the Apostles, we have, for the writers of these five 
books, persons who had the most perfect knowledge of 
every thing they relate, either from their own personal 
observation, or from immediate communications with those 
who saw and heard every thing that passed, concerning 
Christ and the Apostles* Acts and preaching. 

10* They could not therefore be themselves deceived ; 






The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 31 

nor could they hare the least inducement, or the least in- 
clination, to deceive others, but endeavoured to do all 
things to the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind, 
universally. 

11. They were plain, honest, and in general, unlearned 
men, in very humble occupations of life, and utterly inca- 
pable of inventing or carrying on such a refined and com- 
plicated system of fraud, as the Christian religion must 
hav« been if it were not true. Here we will remark that 
the Christian religion was first propagated among the Jews, 
and that Christ was also of the Jews, as it is said salvation 
is of the Jews, yet many of them did not receive him as 
the true Messiah, as it is said he came to his own, but his 
own received him not ; but as many as received him, to 
them gave he power to become the sons of God. Therf 
are, besides, the strongest marks of fairness, candour, sim- 
plicity, and truth, throughout the whole of their narratives, 
which were written by unbiassed, unprejudiced, beUeving 
Jews. 

12. Their greatest enemies have never attempted to 
throw the least stain upon their characters ; and how thenj 
can they be supposed capable of so gross imposition as that 
of asserting and propagating the most impudent fiction ? 
They could gain by it neither pleasure, profit, nor power. 
On the contrary, it brought upon them the most dreadful 
evils, and even death itself. If, therefore, they were 
cheats, they were cheats without any motive, and without 
any advantage ; nay, contrary, to every motive and every 
advantage that usually influence the action of men. They 
preached a religion which forbids falsehood, and yet, on 
this supposition, they supported that religion by falsehood ; 
and whilst they were guilty of the basest and most useless 
knavery, they were taking infinite pains, and going through 
the greatest labour and sufferings, in order to teach hones- 
ty to all mankind. 

13. Is this credible ? Is this possible ? Is not this a mode 
of acting so contrary to all experience, to all the principles 
of human nature, and to all the usual motives of human 
conduct, as to exceed the utmost bounds of belief, and to 
compel every reasonable person to reject at once so mon- 
strous a supposition. 

14. The facts, therefore, related in the gospels, as they 
are called, and in the Acts of the Apostles, even those 
evidently miraculous, must be true ; for the testi- 
mony of those rational people, who die for what they as- 



32 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

sert, is evidence sufficient to support any miracle whatey- 
er. And this opinion of their veracity, is strongly coa- 
tirmed by the following considerations. 

15. There are, in all the sacred writings of the New-i^ 
Testament, continual allusions and references to things,^ 
persons, places, manners, customs and opinions, which are 
found to be perfectly conformable to the real state of things 
at that time, as represented by disinterested and contem-^ 
porary writers. Had their story been a forgery, theyf 
would certainly have been detected in some mistake or oth- 
er concerning these incidental circumstances, which yet^ 
has never once been done. 

16. Then as to the facts themselves which they relate^l 
great numbers of them are mentioned and admitted botK 
by Jewish and Roman historians ; such as the star that ap-« 
peared at our Saviour's birth, the journey of the wisel 
men*^ to Bethlehem. Herod's murder of the infants undet 
two years old, many particulars concerning John the Bap-^ 
tist and Herod, the crucifixion of Christ under Pontius^^ 
Pilate, and the earthquake and miraculous darkness whicl] 
attended it. Nay, even many of the miracles which Jesu^ 
himself wrought, particularly the c\iring of the lame an(J 
blind, and casting out devils, are, as to ^natters of facts ^t^ 
expressly owned and admitted by several of the earliesti 
and most implacable enemies of Christianity. 

17. This testimony, even to the miraculous parts of ih^ 
sacred history, is a sufficient confirmation of the truth an^ 
authority of the whole. 

18. It is also certain, that the books of the New-Testa-^ 
ment have come down to the present times without any ma- 
terial alteration or corruption ; and that they are, in aH 
essential pomts, the same as they came from the hands ol 
their authors. 

19. That in the various transcripts of these writings, 
in all other ancient books, a few letters, syllables, or even 
words, may have been changed, we do not pretend to deny ;| 
but that there has been any designed or fraudulent corrup-j 
tion of any considerable part, especially of any doctrinCj^ 
or any important passage of history, no one has ever at-j 
tempted, or been able to prove. Indeed it was absolutely 
impossible. 

20. There can be no doubt but that, as soon as any qI 
the original writmgs came out of the hands of the authorsj 
great numbers of copies were immediately taken, and seni 
to all the different Christian churches. We know that 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 33 

they were publicly read in the religious assemblies of the 
first or primitive Christians. We know, also, that they 
were very soon translated into a variety of foreign lan« 
guages, and these ancient versions, many of which still re- 
main, were publicly dispersed into all parts of the then 
known, civilized world ; and several of the original ma- 
nuscripts remained to the time of Tertullian, at the end 
of the second century. 

21. There are numberless quotations from every part 
of the New-Testament by Christian writers, from the ear- 
liest ages down to the present, all which substantially 
agree with the present text of the sacred writings. Be- 
sides which, a variety of sects and heresies soon arose 
among the professors of C hristianity, and each of these 
appealed to the Scriptures for the truth of their respec- 
tive doctrines. It would, therefore, have been utterly im- 
possible for any one sect to have made any material altera- 
tion in the sacred books, without being immediately detec- 
ted and exposed by all the others. Their mutual jealousy 
and suspicion of each other would effectually prevent 
any gross adulteration of the sacred volumes ; and with 
respect to lesser matters, the best and most able critics 
have, after the most minute examination, asserted and prov- 
ed, that the scriptures of the New- Testament have suffer- 
ed less from the injury of time, and the errors of tran- 
scribers and translators, than any other ancient writings 
whatever. 

22. The style, too, of the Gospel, bears intrinsic evi- 
dence of its truth. We find there, no appearance of ar- 
tifice or of party spirit ; no attempt to exaggerate on the 
one hand, and depreciate on the other ; no remarks thrown 
in to anticipate objections, except references to the Old 
Testament ; nothing of that caution which never fails to 
distinguish the testimony of those who are conscious of 
imposture ; no endeavour to reconcile the reader's mind 
to what may be extraordinary in the narrative : all is fair, 
candid, and simple. The historians make no reflections of 
their own, except to refer to the Old Testament, but con- 
fine themselves to matters of fact, that is, to what they 
saw and heard ; and honestly record the mistakes, sins^ 
faults, and follies of professors, as well as other particulars 
of the history. 



CHAPTER IV. 
TO JEWS AND GENTILES. 



The charaeier of Christy as represented in the Gospel, af-' 
fords substantial proof that he was a Divine person, 

1. Whoever considers with attention the character of 
our blessed Lord, as it may be collected from the rarious 
incidents and actions of his hfe, (there being no laboured^ 
descriptions of it, no ecomiums upon it, by his own disci- 
ples, — recorded by the Evangelists,) will soon discoveri 
that it was, in every respect, the most perfect that was 
ever made known to mankind. 

2. If we only say of Christ what even Pilate said of him, ; 
and what his bitterest enemies cannot and do not deny, ^ 
ihat we can find no fault in him, and that the whole tenor j 
of his life was entirely blameless, perfectly undefiled and-f 
unblemished throughout, this is saying that he was entirely! 
without sin in all his thoughts, words and actions. But 
this is going a very little way indeed in the excellence of i 
Jiis character. He was not only free from every failing,] 
but possessed and practised every imaginable virtue. To- 
wards his heavenly Father he expressed and certainly^ 
possessed the most ardent love, the most fervent yet ra- 
tional devotion, and displayed in his whole conduct the 
most absolute resignation to his will and obedience to his 
commands. His manners were gentle, mild, condescend- < 
ing, and gracious : his heart overflowed with kindness, j 
compassion and tenderness to the whole human race. The ] 
great employment of his life was to do good to the souls! 
and bodies of men. In this all his thoughts, and all his^ 
time were constantly and almost incessantly occupied. 

3. He went about dispensing his blessings to all around * 
him in a thousand different ways ; healing diseases, reliev- 
ing infirmities, correcting errors, removing prejudices, 1 
promoting piety, justice, charity, peace, and harmony 
among men, and crowding into the narrow compass of his 
ministry more acts of mercy and compassion than the long- 
est life of the inpst benevolent man upon earth ever yet 
produced. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 35 

4. Over his own passions he had the most complete 
command ; and though his patience was continually put to 
the severest trials, yet he was never once overcome, ne- 
ver once betrayed, into any intemperance or excess in word 
or deed, never once spake unadvisedly with his lips, no 
guile was found in his mouth, but his words distilled as the 
drops of the morning, enlivening as the dew of the eve- 
ning, and refreshed as a plentiful shower after a drowth in 
the spring or summer of the year. 

6. He endured the cruelest insults from his enemies 
with the utmost composure, patience, and resignation ; dis- 
played the most astonishing fortitude under a most painful 
and ignominious death ; and, to crown all, in the very 
midst of his torments on the cross, though maliciously and 
unjustly accused, wrongfully and unlawfully condemned^ 
yet he implored forgiveness for his murderers in that 
divinely charitable prayer, '' Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do." 

6. Nor was his wisdom inferior to his virtues. The 
doctrine he taught was the most sublime, the most useful, 
and the most important that was ever before or afterwards 
declared or made known to mankind, and every way well 
calculated to happify mankind, and glorify God, and in 
every respect worthy of that Almighty Father, from 
whom he professed to derive his doctrine, and by whom 
he was sent into the world, and from whom he received 
his commission, and whose Son he declared himself to be. 

7. His precepts inculcated the purest and most perfect 
morality ; his discourses were full of dignity and wisdom-, 
yet intelligible and clear ; his parables conveyed instruc- 
tion in the most rational, pleasing, familiar, and impressive 
manner ; and his answers to the many insidious questions 
that were put to him, showed uncommon quickness of con- 
ception, soundness of judgment, and presence of mind, com- 
pletely baffled all the artifice and malice of his enemies, 
and enabled him to elude all the snares that were laid for 
him in his discourses. Nothing justly could be brought 
against him in his answers, in his talk, in his preaching, in 
his doctrine ; and in his conduct he shone the brightest ex* 
ample of wisdom, prudence, and piety. 

8. It appears then, even frcm this short and imperfect 
sketch of our Saviour's character, that he was, beyond 
comparison, the wisest and most virtuous person that ever 
appeared in this world ; and even his bitterest enemies are, 
by the force of truth and the power of evidence, compel- 



36 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or^ 

led to allow that he was so : If, then, he was confessedly, 
and really so great and so good, it unavoidably follows that 
he must be, what he pretended to be, a divine person, and 
of course his religion also must be divine ; for he certainly 
laid claim to a divine original. He asserted, that he was 
the Son of God ; that he and his religion came from hea- 
ven ; and that he had the power of working miracles ; 
all which he completely proved and demonstrated to the 
world beyond a doubt, or to all who are now instructed by 
the undeniable records given of him and handed down to 
us uncorrupted, or to all who were or are conversant with 
his character, either personally or by correct information. 

9. Is it possible, that the pure, the upright, the pious, 
the virtuous, the devout, the meek, the benevolent, the 
gentle, the compassionate, the humane, the merciful Je- 
sus, would engage a multitude of harmless, innocent, vir- 
tuous people in the belief and support of a religion which 
he knew must draw on them persecution, misery, and 
death, unless he had been authorised by God himself to 
establish that religion ; and unless he was conscious and 
knew that he possessed the power of finally and amply re- 
compensing those who preferred his religion to every oth- 
er consideration, and chose to be his followers and his 
friends at the loss of all earthly things ? The common 
sense and common feelings of mankind must revolt at such 
a preposterous idea, and readily conclude that Jesus well 
knew that all things would finally work together for good 
to them that loved God and kept his commandments, and 
that he himself was a divine person, sent into the world to 
open an effectual door of salvation to all mankind who 
would believe in God, and in him whom God had sent into 
the world to be the great Shepherd of all the truly peni- 
tent, believing and virtuous in heart ; walking in the way 
of righteousness and true holiness. 

10. It follows, then, that Christ was, in truth, a Divine 
Teacher, and the religion he taught was the gift of God. Yet 
Jesus employed no other means of converting men to his 
religion, but persuasion, argument, exhortation, teaching, 
preaching, prophecies, and doing good to mankind without 
any distinction, to rich or poor, bond or free. He was the 
Prince of peace, and earnestly recommended and preached 
peace to the people. ** The Son of man," said he, " came 
not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.'* " Peace I 
leave with you ; my peace I give unto you." " Do vio- 
lence to no man, resist not evil." ** Be ye merciful, even 



The Auxiluiry and Svpplemevtary Guide, 3; 

as yolir Fnther in heaven is merciful.'' ''Blessed are 
the merciful, f >r they shall obtain mercy." '* Blessed are 
the peace milkers, f)r they shall b'e called the children oi 
God." 

11. Lastly, the Gospel is every where concise, simple, 
original, animated, interesting, dignified ; vis precepts im- 
portant, its morality perfect, its sentiments sublime, its 
views noble and comprehensive, its first preacher was 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God — long prophecied of by the 
ancient prophets, looked for and expected by the patriarchs 
and wise men of the east, when, lo ! about four thousand 
years after the creation of the world, the true Messiah i> 
born in Bethlehem of Judea, the joy of all nations is come, 
while angels and arch-angels, seraphs and the heavenly 
hosts bail the happy morn, on which the Saviour, Christ 
the Lord is born ! Jews and Gentiles, one and all, listen 
with peculiar delight to the gospel's inviting, life giving, 
joyful sound. Search with care and diligence, and prac- 
tice with willingness, confidence and cheerfulness the God- 
like commands, words, and sayings of this heavenly, divioe 
Teacher ; — copy his examples in your thoughts, words and 
i\eQd» : for his thoughts were heavenly and divine, his 
words were instructing and edifying, and his deeds wer<^ 
adorned with every becoming virtue. 



CHAPTER V. 

TO JEWS AND GENTILES. 



The Miracles performed by Christ, demonstrate kim to haV'. 
possessed Divine power, 

1. Although the preceding Chapters contain very coii> 
vincmg proofs of the divine mission of Christ, and the di. 
vme authority of the Christian religion, yet, undoubtedlv 
very strong evidence of this arises from the wonderfiil and 
well-attested miracles which he did from the beginning, to 
the end of his ministry. ® 

2. He cured the most inveterate diseases ; he made the 
lame to walk ; he opened the eyes of the blind, and the 
ears of the deaf; he cast out devils ; he walked upon tlie 

4 



38 The Beauties of P- haiiire Christianity, or, 

sea ; he fed Q^vc tbousiiiid persons with a few small loaves 
and fishes ; and even raised the dead to life Rgj?!n. 

3. These miracles w«ere done in the sight of multitudes 
of w^itnesses, who could not be imposed upon in things 
which they plainly saw w'ith their own eyes, who had ^n 
opportunity of scrutinizing them ns rnnch as they pleased, 
and who did actually scrutinize them with the most critical 
exactness, as appears from the very remarkable instance 
of the blind man restored to sight by our Lord, in the 
ninth chapter of the Gospel. according to St. John, a trans- 
action which we recommend very earnestly to the atten- 
tion of all classes of people. 

4. It is true, that miracles being very unusual and ex- 
traordinary facts, they require very strong evidence to 
support them ; much stronger, it must be owned, than 
common events, that are recorded in history : and accord- 
ingly the miracles of Christ have this very strong and ex- 
traordinary evidence to support them ; evidence such as 
is not to be equalled in any other instance, and such as is 
fully competent to prove the reality of the greatest miracle 
that ever was performed. 

5. Besides a multitude of other persons, who were eye- 
witnesses to these miracles, and vv^ho were actually con- 
vinced and coaverteti by them, there were twelve persons, 
called Apob'iles, and all of them, except Judas Iscariot, the 
traitor, were plain, honest, unprejudiced men, whom oi-r 
Saviour chose to be his constant comp.uiions and friend>, 
who were almcst always about his person, accompanied 
him in his travels, heard all his discourses, saw all his 
miracles, and attended him through all the different scenes 
of his life, death, and resurrection, till the tin>e of his as- 
cension into Heaven, to his Father and owr Father, to his 
God and our God. 

6. These perso!\s w^ere perfectly capable of judging 
whether the works which they saw Jesus perform, were 
real miracles or not ; they could tell whether a person 
whom they knew to be blind all his life, was suddenly rer 
stored to sight by our Saviour's only speaking a word, or 
touching his eyes ; they could tell whether he did actually 
walk upon the sea without sinking, and without any visible 
support ; whether a person called Lazarus, with whom 
they were well acquainted, and whom they knew to have 
been four days dead and buried, was raised to life again, 
merely by Christ's saying, Lazarus, arise, come forth. 



The Auxiliary and Supphineniarij Guide, 3J^ 

7. In these, and other facts of this sort, they could nol 
possibly be deceived. Now these, and many other mira- 
cles equidly astonishing, they, and many others also, affirm 
that they themselves actually saw performed by our Sav- 
iour. In consequence of this, they became his disciples ; 
and on account of their conversion, and more particularly 
on account of their asserting the truth of Christ's miracles 
and his resurrection, they endured for a long course of 
years the severest labours, hardships, sufferings and per- 
secutions, to which human nature could be exposed, and 
at last submitted to the most cruel and excruciating death ; 
all which they might have easily avoided, if they would 
only have said that Christ w^as not the Son of God, that he 
never worked any miracles, and never rose from the dead. 
Yet this they refused to say — -choosing rather to die the 
cruelest of deaths, than to say it, or to deny what they 
knew to be true concerning Christ. 

8. Is not this giving the strongest proof of their sincer- 
ity, and of the reality of Christ's miracles, that are capa- 
ble of being given by man ? The concurrent and uncon- 
tradicted testimony of twelve such witnesses is, according 
to all the rules of evidence, sufficient to establish the truth 
of any one fact in the Avorld, however extraordinary, how- 
ever miraculous. It is well known that they had not been 
bribed with money or sensual indulgences. Their master 
always foretold them, and they themselves soon found by 
experience, that they could gain nothing in this world, but 
mast forsake and bid farewell to every thing they held near 
and dear to them in this life, by embracing Christianity ; 
they must, if need so required, leave father, mother, breth- 
ren, sisters, wife, children, houses, and lands, and take up 
their cross and follow Christ, the light of the world, to the 
kingdom of eternal glory. 

9. It is utterly impossible to account for their embra- 
cing Christ's religion on any other ground, than their con- 
viction of. its truth, from the miracles which they saw 
iiim perform, and by the convincing operation of th^ Spi- 
rit of God upon their hearts. 

10. It is certain then, as certain as any thing can be that 
depends on human testimony and the powerful and con- 
vincing operation of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of 
men, that real miracles were wrought by Christ ; and as 
no miracles can be wrought but by the power of God, il 
is equally certain that Christ and the Christian religion 



JU 



Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 



drew their origin from God, the Supreme Being, It fol- 
lows then, of course, that Jesus Christ was truly the be- 
loved Son of God, sent into the world to propagate, 
preach, and establish this religion among mankind, and if 
prophecy be true, the heathen will be given him for hi? 
iRberitance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his 
possession, and ihe Christian religion will tinally prevail 
and fill the whole earth with its knowledge and with its 
*x}orv. 



CHAPTER VI. 

TO JEWS AND GENTILES. 



The siihlimity of OmsVs doctrine^ mid ihe purity of his 
Moral Precepts, co7ifirm (he belief of his Divine Mis- 
sion* 

1. There is no where to be found such important in- 
thrmation, and such just and noble sentiments concerning 
God and religion, as in the scriptures of the New-Testa- 
ment. 

2. They teach us, in the first place, that there is orxe 
Almighty Being, who created all things, of infinite power, 
wisdom, justice, mercy, goodness ; that he is the supreme 
governor and preserver of this world, which he has made : 
that his providential care is over all his works ; and that 
he more particularly regards the affairs and conduct of 
men. They teach us, that we are to worship this great 
aad good Being in spirit and in truth ; and that to love him 
with the whole heart, mind, might, and strength, that is, 
with all our faculties, is the first and great commandment, 
and the source and spring of all our virtues. 

3. They teach us, more particularly, how to pray to 
(xod, and for that purpose supply us with a form of prayer, 
railed the Lord's Prayer, which is a model of calm and 
rational devotion, and which, for its conciseness, its clear- 
ness, its copiousness, in a (ew words, its suitableness to 
every condition, and for the weight, sublimity, compre- 
hensibleness, and real importance and extensiveness o^ 
ils petitions, is without an equal ov a rivaU 



11 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 41 

4. The}' teach us, moreover, what we all feel to be 
true, that the human heart is weak> corrupt, and prone ta 
go astray, and to fall into follies, mistakes, faults, and wick- 
edness ; that man has departed from his original innocence ; 
that he is restored, however, to the favour of God, and 
the capacity of happiness by the death, mediation and 
atonement of Christ, and our yielding obedience to his 
commands, Christ being the w^ay, the truth, and the life ; 
and that man will be assisted in his sincere, though imper- 
fect endeavours after holiness, by the cheering, happifying^ 
aiding, and enlightening influence of God's Holy Spirit. 

5. They assure us, in fine, that the soul does not perish 
with the body, but that the body returns to dust from 
whence it came, and that the soul or spirit returns to God, 
who gave it ; that is, the soul shall pass, after death, into 
another world ; and that the virtuous shall be rewarded, 
and the wicked punished, according to their deserts ; that 
is, according to the deeds done in the body^ according to 
their works, whether good or bad. 

6. Equally excellent, and superior to all other rules of 
life, are the moral precepts of the gospel. 

7. Our Divine Master, in the first place, laid down two 
great leading principles for our conduct, — love to God, and 
love or good-will to all mankind ; and thence deduced, as 
occasions offered, and incidents occurred, which gave pe- 
culiar force and energy to his instructions, all the principal 
duties towards God, our neighbour, our enemies and our- 
selves. 

8. With respect to God, we are commanded to love. 
worship, fear, and obey him ; to have him, in our minds^ 
always before us ; to do all things to his glory ; to seek 
first his kingdom and his righteousness ; to resign ourselves 
wholly to his will and pleasure, trust in him, and submit 
with patience, cheerfulness and resignation, to everything 
he, in his divine providence, thinks fit to bring upon us — - 
really believing that all things will finally wark tjogethi^r 
for good to them that love God. 

9. With regard to our neighbour, we are to exercise 
towards him the duties of charity, justice, mercy, equlfy 
and truth ; we are to love him as ourselves, and to do uato 
Lim, and unto all people, as we would they should do unto 
"US in the same circumstances of life ; — a most admirable 
rule, wbichcomprelvcnds the sum and substance of all so^- 

4* 



it Beauties of Primitive Ckrisiiayiity^ or^ 

cial virtue, and which no person of common understandmg^ 
? an mistake. 

10. The loving of our enemies, though a self-denying, yet 
a gospel rule, is founded on the principles of cool, con- 
siderate reason, and the universal love to mankind, it ia 
surely the best way to make friends of enemies. A per- 
son may be our enemy to-day, and our friend to-morrow. 
Why should we hate our enemies now ? Who knows how 
areat a change may take place in their hearts hereafter ? 
Do good unto them now, and they may soon embrace you 
with open arms of love, and you with them may walk the 
bright and shining way to glory. Love them and pity 
Ihem, and do them all the good that lies in your power 
consistently^ and it will be a thousend chances to one, if 
they do not soon become your real friends. But if they 
should not, you have done the will of God, for he sends the 
rain on the just and on the unjust without discrimination. 
His friends and his enemies share of his common bounties 
and blessings, while in this life, without distinction. Imi- 
tate then your Heavenly Father in this, and follow the ex- 
ample set you by his beloved Son, for he even prayed for 
bis murderers. O what love and condescension there was 
in Jesus 1 

11. As to those duties which concern ourselves, we are 
commanded to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, 
io be temperate in all things, to keep our body and mind 
under due subjection, to be watchful over our thoughts, 
words and actions, to preserve an absolute command over 
all our passions, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly 
in this present world, and to do all the good we can con- 
sistently, unto all mankind, whether they be friends or 
enemies^ and to be a blessing, instead of a curse, unto all 
with whom we have any dealings, if it be possible. Let 
us be lights in the world, that others seeing^ our good works 
may be led to glorify our Father which is in heaven. 
Time flies swiftly along, and will soon land us beyond the 
boundi* of doing good to our fellow mortals. While it is 
day let us improve the light, for soon the night of death, 
will come, when we can do no more work. And let us 
bjp remembered for the good we have done, and not for 
tive evil. 

12. These are the general directions given for our con- 
(Juct in the various situations and relations of life. More 
particular injunctions are giveji in various parts of the scrip- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide., 43 

uires, especially in Christ's admirable sermon on the 
mount, where we lind a multitude of most excellent rules 
of life, short, sententious, solemn, and important, full of 
vyisdom and dignity, yet intelligible and clear. 

13. But the principal excellence of the gospel morality, 
and that which giyes it an infinite superiority over all oth- 
er moral instructions, is this ; that it prefers a meek, yield- 
ing, complying forgiving temper, to that violent, overbear- 
ing, inflexible, imperious disposition, which prevails so 
much in the world ; that it regulates not merely our ac- 
tions, but our affections and our inchnations • setting our 
affections on things above, and not on things on the earth ; 
and places the check to licentiousness, exactly where it 
ought to be, that is, on the heart ; that it forbids us to cov- 
et the praise of men in our devotions, our alms, and all 
our virtues ; that it gives leading rules and principles for 
all the relative duties of life ; of husbands and wives, of 
parents ajid children, of masters and servants, of Christ- 
tian preachers or ministers and their hearers,' of croVer^ 
nors and subjects ; that it commands us to be, as it^were 
hghts in the world, and examples of good to all ; to injure 
no person designedly, but to bear injuries patiently • never 
to seek revenge, but return good for evil: to love even 
our very enemies, and to forgive others as we hope to be 
forgiven ; to raise our thoughts and views above the pre- 
sent life, which is fast passing away and fading like the 
lily, rose or flower of the held, and to ^yi our affections 
principally on that which is to come, and to lay up our 
ireasure in heaven that our hearts may be there also. 
1 hat when this earthly tabernacle shall fail, we may be 
received into the mansions of the blessed; and for ever 
be m the immediate presence of our heavenly Father, his 
beloved Son our Redeemer, and in the company of holv 
angels and archangels, and the spirits of just men made per^ 
lect m Christ Jesus. '^ 

14. But besides all this, the manner m which our Lord 
Master and Beloved Brother* delivered all his doctrine 
and a 1 his precepts ; the concise, sententious, solemn, 
weighty maxims into which he generally compressed them 
the easy, familiar, natural, reasonable, pathetic, instruc- 
tive and important parables in which he sometimes cloth^ 
etlthem; that divme authority, and those powerful sane* 



44 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or, 

lions with which he enforced them ;. these circumstance? 
give weight, and dignity', and importance to the precepts of 
the gospel, with which no other moral rules are enriched. 

15. It follows then, heyond a douht, that a person called 
Jesus Christ did actually appear upon earth, (in fulfil- 
ment of the ancient prophecies,) about four thousand years 
after the creation of the world, asserting that he was the 
Son of God, and that he came from heaven to teach man- 
kind true religion ; he being sent by the Almighty Father ; 
and that he did accordingly found a reHgion, w^hich from 
him* Christ, was called the Christian religion, and w^hich 
has been, and now is, professed by great numbers of peo- 
ple, both male and female, to the joj and inexpressible 
happiness of their souls, from that time to the present, 
who v?*are primitively and anciently, and now are, called 
Friends, Christians, Professors of Christianity, Christ's 
Friends, the people of God. 

16, If it should again be asked, who that extraardinary 
person could be, that brought life and immortality to light, 
and such uncommonly excellent morality and religion into^ 
the world ? The answer is, that he was, arid is, and is for ev- 
er to be, the godly saint's spiritual brother, Jesus Christ the 
righteous, — the beloved Son of the ever living God. As 
it is recorded, '* And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, this 
is my beloved Son, in whom 1 am well pleased." And, 
again, '' Go to my brethren," said Jesus, '' and say unto 
them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father^ and to 
my God, and your God.^^ Christ has also said, '* Whosor 
ever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and 
my sister, and mother." Again, Christ has declared, say- 
ing, '* Verily 1 say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done 
it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have doae 
it unto me," 



The Auxiliary and Supplement ary Guide, 45 

HYMN II. 
CHRISTIAN EXAMPLES. 

1. Daniel's wisdom may we know, 
Stephen's faith and spirit show, 
John's divine communion feel, 
Moses' meekness, Joshua's zeal, 
Run like the unwearied Paul, 
Like Solomon in peace with all. 

2. Mary's love may we possess, 
Lydia's tender-heartedness, 
Peter's fervent spirit feel, 
James's faith by works reveal'd, 
Like young Timothy may we. 
Every sinful passion flee. 

3. Job's submission may we show. 
David's pure devotion know, 
Samuel's call, O may we hear, 
Lazarus' happy portion share ; 
Let Isaiah's hallowed fire, 

All our new born souls inspire. 

4. Ours be Jacob's wrestling prayer. 
Gideon's valiant steadfast care, 
Joseph's purity impart, 

Isaac's meditative heart. 
Abraham's friendship ma}^ we prove, 
Faithful to the God of Love. 

5 IMost of all may we pursue 
The example Jesus drew ; 
In our lives and conduct show. 
How he lov'd and walk'd below ; 
Daily by his grace bestow'd, 
Imitate our perfect Lord. 



Constantly practice the virtuous examples of the ancieta 
vi^orthies ; — but cautiously avoid their sins, faults and fol- 
lies, if they had any. Jesus was without a sin, without a 
jliult, through his whole life. 



46 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or. 

CHAPTER VII. 

GENERAL VIEW OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 



L Jesus Christ, "despised and rejected of men; u 
man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief;" has set man* 
kind a wonderful example of virtue, charity, patience, 
meekness, compassion, mercy, friendship, humility and 
love. The four cardinal virtues, Prudence, Temperance, 
Justice and Fortitude, shone out most conspicuously in all 
his character. " Take my yoke upon you," said he, 
'' and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and 
ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy and 
my burden is light." '' I am come down from heaven, 
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 
And I must work the work of him that sent me while it is 
day, the night cometh when no man can work.'* 

2. At twelve years old, we find him diligently employed 
in pursuing the great object of his mission for which God 
sent him into this world. He began with reasoning with, 
and questioning the Jewish Doctors in the temple, to the 
Wonder pnd astonishment of all who heard him. When 
his mother enquired of him concerning the reason of his 
conduct, his answer was, *' Wist ye not that I must be 
about my Father's business." 

3. He has also said, *' I have meat to eat, which the 
world knoweth not of," and immediately after adds, " My 
meat is to do the will of God, and finish the work which 
he hath given me to do." And, when in the most perilous 
situation, quietly submits to the will of God, saying, "Not 
my v/ill but thine be done." 

4. Christ, while here on earth, was full of tender com- 
pissioD, both to the bodies and souls of men, which he 
plaiiil}^ manifested by many infdlible proofs, which we 
have fairly proved in the preceding part of this work. 

5. Three leading principles Christ held forth in his 
doctrine, which are Love, Mercy, and Peace. And occa- 
sionally he urged the necessity of really possessing and 
<iiligently practising every other virtue which can adorn 
and happify mankind, and glorify God. All these he en- 
forced by his preaching, and established them by his many 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 47 

acts of love, compassion, mercy and peace, which he al- 
ways showed to all around him. 

G. He inculcated the principle of love, by saying, Love 
God with all thy heart, mind, might and strength ; love thy 
neighbour as thyself; and to crown all with universal love 
and benevolence, he commands us to love even our ene- 
mies, and to do good to them that despitefully use us and 
persecute us, and not to render evil for evil, but, good for 
evil, blessings for cursings, and so fulfil the will of God. 

7. He enforced the principle of mercy, by saying, 
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. He 
brings to our view the salutary effects of mercy, by ma- 
king use of the parable of the man that went down from 
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stripped 
him, and bruised him, and left him half dead. When the 
Priest and Levite saw him in this pitiful, mangled situation, 
they passed by on the other side with unfeeling indiffer- 
ence. But when the good Samaritan saw him, moved by 
the tender feelings of mercy, he had compassion on him, 
and immediately lent a helping hand to cure and relieve 
him. Here mercy shone out in her brightest colours. — 
But look at the hard-heartedness of the rich man, in his 
conduct towards Lazarus. Oh ! how this rich man's con- 
duct is to the reverse of what mercy dictates. 

8. Peace was his darling theme. He preached peace 
on every occasion, and enforced it by the most striking ex- 
amples. When he was demanded to pay tribute, though 
unjustly exacted of him, yet for the sake of peace, and to 
avoid giving offence, he readily complies with the unjust 
demand. And when they came out against him, as against 
a thief and a robber, he lifts not his hand against them. 
And when the zealous Peter would have defended him with 
the sword, he tells him to put up his sword, for they that 
take the sword shall perish with the sword ; suffer wrong 
rather than do wrong. Blessed are the peace-makers : 
for they shall be called the children of God. 

9. How fully does his pathetic lamentation over devoted 
Jerusalem, speak the compassionate affection of his mind ! 
'' O Jerusalem I Jerusalem 1" said he, " thou ihat killeth 
the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto thee ; 
how often would I have gathered thy children together, 
even as a hengathereth her chickens under her wings, but 
ye would not.'' Jesus went about all the cities and vil- 
lages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gos- 



48 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

pel of the kingdom, ',md healing every sickness, and every 
disease, among the people. 

10. He went about preaching and doing good to all the 
sons of men. In his most retired nrioments, how earnest 
were his devotions and supplications to his Father, oitr 
God ! At his table, though supplied with poor fare, how 
heavenly were his discourses ! And again behold him in 
a desert place, with five barley loaves, and two small fishes, 
miraculously feeding thousands of men, women and chil- 
dren — thereby plainly showing unto the world, that he is 
always ready, able and willing, to do what is best for all, 
either by immediately relieving their wants, distresses, 
and miseries, or by teaching them the great lesson of pa- 
tience, fortitude, and resignation, in the times of trouble 
and adversity. Yet, to inculcate the principles of pru- 
dence, he commands them to gather up the fragments that 
remain, that nothing be lost. 

11. Again behold him curing and restoring health to the 
sick and the afilicted ; healing the wounded ; making the 
lame^ the halt, the maimed to walk ; the deaf to hear ; the 
blind to see ; curing all manner -of sickness and diseases ; 
raising the dead to life again ; casting out devils ; clothing 
in their right minds, the distracted, the cr.jzy, the lunatic, 
the possessed of legions of devils ; forgiving sins ; and 
preaching the gospel not only to the rich, but also to the 
poor ; all which he freely did without fee, money, earthly 
honour, or earthly reward. 

12. Pass from these scenes, and behold him at the tri- 
bunal, falsely accused, and unjustly condemned, and con- 
sider the patience with which he endured the scoffs and 
malicious reproaches of his enemies — he then declaring 
unto them, '* My kingdom is not of this world." View 
him on the cross, and hear him in the very last agony of 
death, praying for his persecutors ; — " Father, forgive 
them, for they know not what they do." 

13. We may now ask. Was not this the Son of God ? 
But the answer we have already had from holy men, from 
the angels ot God, and from voices from heaven, and also 
from the centurion, who attended at the cross, and saw part 
of the scene. The centurion, was then, by light, reason, 
and conscience, compelled to speak, and say, *' Truly, this 
man was the son of God." 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide* 49 

CHAPTER Vin. 

The depravity of man by sin; and his recovery by fhe 
klood and cross of Christ. 

1 . Brethren, if we were to represent to you in a£gure, 
the condition of man as a sinner, and the means of his re- 
covery by the blood and cross of Christ, we should repre- 
sent it somewhat in this way. Suppose* large grave yard^ 
surrounded by a high wall, with only one entrance, which 
is by a large iron gate, which is fast bolted. Within these 
walls are thousands and tens of thousands of human beings, 
of all ages and of all classes, by one epidemic disease, 
bending to the grave — the grave yawns to swallow them, 
and they must all die. There is no balm to reheve them ; 
no physician there ; they must perish. This we will sup- 
pose, is the condition of man as a sinner. For the soul 
thatsinneth, it shall die. 

2. While man was in this deplorable state, Mercy, the 
darling attribute of Deity, came down and stood at the gate, 
lookM at the scene, and wept over it, exclaiming, * O 1 
that I might enter — I would bind up their wounds — i 
would relieve their sorrows — I would save their souls !* 

3. W^hile mercy stood weeping at the gate, an embassy 
of angels, commissioned from the court of heaven to some 
other world, passing over, paused at the sight, and heaven 
forgave that pause : and seeing Mercy standing there, they 
cried, * Mercy, can you not enter ? Can you look upon 
this scene and not pity ? Can you pity and not relieve ?' 

4. Mercy replied, ' I can see ;' and in her tears, she 
added, ' I can pity, but I cannot relieve.' They farther 
enquired, ' Why can you not enter ?' ' Oh 1' said Mercy, 
'Justice has barred the gate against me, 1 cannot, I musi 
not unbar it.' 

5. At this moment Justice himself appeared, as it were 
to watch the gate. The angels enquired of him, * Why 
will you not let Mercy in ?' Justice replied, ' My law is 
transgressed, and it must be honoured. Die they or Jus- 
tice must :' 

6. At this there appeared among the angelic band, the 
Son of God, [his form, as it were, the Son of God, being 
sent by the Almighty Father,] who, (Jesus) addressing 
himself to Justice, said, * What are thy demands V Jus- 



60 Idealities of Primitive Christiamty^ or, 

tice replied, * My terms are stern and rigid. I must have sick- 
ness for their health — I must have ignominy for their hon- 
our — I must have death for life ! " Without the shedding 
of blood, there is no remission of sins." « Justice,' said 
the Son of God, ' I accept thy terms, on me be this wrong, 
and let Mercy enter V < When,' said Justice, ' will you 
perform this, promise ?' 

7. Jesus replied, * Four thousand years hence, upon 
the hill of Calvary, without the gates of Jerusalem, I will 
be clothed with humility, and perform it in my own per- 
son.' The agreement was prepared and signed in the pre- 
sence of the angels of God. Justice was satisfied, and 
Blercy entered, preaching salvation in the name of the 
Messiah, Redeemer, Deliverer, Restorer, or Jesus to 
come. 

8. The agreement was committed to the patriarchs, by 
them to the kings of Israel and the prophets ; by them it 
was preserved till Daniel's seventy weeks were accom- 
plished. Then, at the appointed time, Justice appeared 
on the hill of Calvary, and Mercy presented to him the 
important agreement. ' Where' said Justice, ' is the Son 
of God ?' Mercy answered, ' Behold him at the bottom of 
the hill, bearing his own cross,' and then she departed, 
and stood aloof at the hour of trial. 

9. Jesus ascended the hill, while in his train followed 
his weeping church : Justice immediately presented him 
with the important agreement, saying, ' This is the day 
when this bond is to be executed.' When he received it 
did he tear it in pieces, and give it to the winds of heaven ? 
No, he nailed it to his cross, and exclaimed, ' It is finished.' 

10. Justice forgave and became reconciled, calling on 
holy fire to come down upon the sacrifice. Holy fire de- 
scended, and there was darkness over the whole heavens, 
and over the whole earth ; the veil of the temple was spht 
in twain, rocks rent, thunders roared, lightnings flashed, 
earthquakes shook the astonished world, graves opened, 
darkness prevailed, and spread his sable curtain over all 
the face of universal nature, all creation trembled at the 
sight, from pole to pole, from the surface to the centre the 
whole world was convulsed ; but soon light broke forth, 
heavenly light again returned, and, '* Glory to God in the 
highest ; on eaith peace, good-will towards men," 



The Auxiliary and Suppletnentary Guidt^ 51 

CHAPTER IX. 

RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 

Bright as the morning star in the radiance of the sun- 
beams, cometh the seraph of immortahtj. 

1. Twice had the sun gone down upon the earth, and all 
as yet was quiet at the sepulchre ; death held his sceptre 
over the Son of God ; still and silent the hours passed on ; 
the guards stood by their posts, the rays of the midnight 
moon gleamed on their helmets, and on their spears ; the 
enemies of Christ exulted in their success ; the hearts of 
his friends were sunk in despondency and in sorrow ; the 
spirits of glory waited in anxious suspense to behold the 
event, and wondered at the depth of the ways of God. 

2. At length the morning star arising in the east, an- 
nounced the approach of light; the third day began to 
dawn upon the world, w^hen on a sudden tjie earth trem- 
bled to its centre, and the powers of heaven were shaken ; 
an angel of God descended, the guards shrunk back from 
the terror of his presence, and fell prostrate on the ground I 
his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment was as 
white as snow : he rolled away the stone from the door of 
the sepulchre, and sat upon it. 

3. But who is this that cometh forth from the tomb, with 
dyed garments from the bed of death ? He that is glorious 
in his appearance, walking in the greatness of his strength. 
It is thy prince, O Zion I Christian it is your Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, risen from the lonesome tomb, as 
he had foretold, and burst the bands of death asunder, tri« 
umphing over the grave. He hath trodden the wine-press 
alone ; he hath stained his raiment with blood ; but now, 
as the first born from the grave, he meets the morning of 
his resurrection. 

4. He arises a conquerer from the tomb ; he returns 
with blessings from the world of spirits ; he brings salva- 
tion to the sons and daughters of men. Never did the re- 
turning sun usher in a day so glorious ! it was the jubilee 
pf the universe. 

5. The morning stars suni; together, and all the sons of 
God shouted aloud for joy. The Father of Mercies look'd 
down from his throne in the heavens ; with complacency 
he beheld his world restored ; he saw his work that it wa5^ 



5S Beauties of Primitive ChriBtianity^ or^ 

good. -Then did the desert rejoice ; the face of nature 
was gladdened before him, when the blessings of the Eter- 
nal descended as the dew of heaven for the refreshing and 
f?^ration of the nations ! 



HYMN III. 

The Christian Sabbath, or the Firtt day of the tveek. 

t. This morning the gales are most sweetly a blowing, 
And pleasant the breezes from Mount Calvary ; 
The sepulchre is open, the odours are flowing, 
Breathe gently, sweet zephyrs, breathe gently on me. 
On this blessed morning my Saviour was rising. 
The chains of mortality fully despising, 
His suflferings are over, he's done agonizing, 
This morning my Saviour will think upon me. 

^. And now for the place that's appointed for praying, 
For worship that's social, we'll quickly repair ; 
In service so pleasing, there needs no delaying. 
The stone is roll'd back, and my Lord will be there. 
Rise quickly, my *ioiil, shake off thy dull slumbers. 
In melody raise all the heavenly numbers. 
For Jesus is pleas'd when recounting his members,, 
To find you like Mary when early at prayer. 

3. Thus trusting in him who's our Head and our Leader, 
We'll march on to glory without any fear ; 

Each Sabbath revolving brings one Sabbath nearer, 
To that blessed morning when Christ shall appear. 
The sign in the east will soon be displayed. 
The terror of judgment no longer delayed. 
Till then we'll attend, and never cease praying 
Till ne'er ceasing praises shall call us from prayer. 

4. My brethren and friends, may the God of all glory 
Protect you benignly from all sin and harm ; 
The Head of the Church is victorious before you, 
He'll guide you thro' safely from every alarm. 
Inspire then, O God, our hearts with devotion, 
Be thou the dear object of every emotion, 

And when these dull bodies shall cease from their action, 
Receive us^ kind Saviour, to thy loving arma, 



Jiie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 53 

CHAPTER X. 

^^GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS,'^ 



1. '* Behold what manner of love the Father hath be- 
stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God 1" 
Virtue is happiness, or goes hand in hand with happiness 
10 all who inherit or practise it. None can be truly happy 
unless they are virtuous. Vice brings with it a cruel 
sting, and leaves a lasting wound wherever it gains admit- 
tance. *' The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God 
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

2. *' To them who by patient continuance in well doing, 
seek for glory, and honour and immortality, eternal life ; 
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the 
truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath ; 
tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doetb 
evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile : But glory, 
honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good ; 
to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile : For there is 
no respect of persons with God." *' Who will render to 
every man according to his deeds." For " God is no re- 
specter of persons : But in every nation he that feareth 
him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." 

3. '' For as many as have sinned without law, shall also 
perish without law ; and as many as have sijined in the 
law, shall be judged by the law, (for not the hearers of 
the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall 
l)e justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the 
law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these 
having not the law, are a law unto themselves : Which 
shew the works of the law written in their hearts, their 
conscience also bearing witness^ and their thoughts the 
meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.") 

4. '•' For the invisible things of Him from the creation 
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the 
things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, 
so that they are witho\it excuse." For '* thQ goodness of 
God leadeth thee to repentanee." 

5. " And I saw," said John the Divine, *« the dead, 
small and great, stand before God : and the books were 
epened : and.another book was opened, which is the book 

*5 



^4 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

of life: and the dead were judged out of those things 
which were written in the books, accordinff to their 
works." 

6. '' And the sea gave up the dead which were in it s 
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in 
them : and they were judged every man according to thek 
works." 

7. *« And whosoever was not found written in the bot)k 
of hfe was cast into the lake of fire.»* 

8. " And I John," in my vision, '« saw the holy city, 
new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, 
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." 

9. '' And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing 
that defileth, neither whatsoever wOrketh abomination, or 
maketh a lie : but they which are written in the Lamb's 
hook of life.' 



CHAPTER XI. 

'' PURE RELIGION." 

P ure religion we for ever shall find, 
U pright, untarnish'd, meek, humble and kind , 
R oams over the world the needy to bless, 
E v'r pities or relieves those iii distress. 

R eligion, fair descendant from above, 

E ternal source of happiness and love I 

L ow at her shrine we fill, and do implore 

I n our broken hearts all her graces store. 

G rant to us hearts obedient to her laws, 

f nclin'd to reverence and maintain her cause. 

O guide our steps to yon celestial skies, 

N or leave us here till we to them shall rise. 

1. " Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, ai\*i 
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a 
doer of the work : This man shall be blessed in his deeds. *^ 

2. " If any man among you seem to be religious, and 
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this 
man's religion is vain." 

3. '* Pure religion and undefiled before God and the 
Father, is this ; To visit the fatherless, and the widows 
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted froon tXe 
world," 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 65 

4. To love, reverentially fear, and worship God, keep 
his commandments, and to do all the good we can to our 
fellow creatures, is the duty of man, shows a virtuous 
heart, and bespeaks true religion. 

5. True religion, descendant from heaven, wears an an- 
gelic smile, and is distinguished by all the graces of her 
divine original. Elevated and aspiring, yet winning and 
attracting, benevolent, gracious, courteous, and conde- 
scending, her features formed to complacency ; her voice 
attuned to harmony ; her eye shining with benignity ; and 
all her motions, though composed and steady, yet graceful 
and unassuming- 

6. Pure religion erects to her votaries a temple sacred 
to immortality. The good man dreads no death or disso- 
lution, yet he is willing to live in this world to be a bless- 
ing to his fellow mortals. But when invited to heaven, 
and called to glory, he soars above this dim spot which 
men call earth, and is lost in the infinite, the boundless, 
the incomprehensible progression of eternity. 

7. Undefiled religion is divine vigour in the soul, tri- 
umphing over the darkness of nature, and teaching us ac- 
quiescence in the allotments of Providence. It is the im- 
age of God stamped upon human nature, refining its base- 
ness, enriching its poverty^ healing its maladies, and con- 
verting its very wants and miseries into abundance, happi- 
ness, and glory. Without this divine treasure, man is 
poor indeed. Amidst opulence, how needy ! amidst titles 
and honours, how ignoble and vain ! in a palace how mis- 
erable ! how contemptible on a throne ! 

8. True religion is the source of happiness, the sup- 
port of society, and the dying virtuous man's consolation. 
It is the guide of youth, and the stay of old age. It is 
the fairest blossom that opens on earth, the sweetest in- 
cense that ascends to the skies. 

Lo ! a form divinely bright 
Descends and bursts upon our sight ; 
A seraph of illustrious birth ! 
(Religion was her name on earth ;) 
Supremely sweet her radiant face. 
And blooming with celestial grace 1 
Three shining cherubs form'd her tl*ain, 
Wav'd their light wings, and reach'd the plain 
Faith, with sublime and piercing eye, 
And pinions flutt'ring for the sky j 



r>B Beauties of Primitive Christianity. 

Mere Hope, that smiliog angel, stands, 
And golden anchors grace her hands ; 
There Charity, in robes of white, 
Fairest and fav'rite maid of hght. 



CHAPTER XII. 

HOPE AND FRIENDSHIP. 

Fii^uu-iiip is the great medicine of Ufe to cure uiiuou- 
tent, hatred, and mahce. '' Hope we have as an anchor 
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth in- 
to that within the veil.'' 

1 . Calm and serene, midlife's surrounding cares, 

As all our earthly pleasures vanish and depart : 
Hope cheers us on to scenes of unknown years. 
And points to joys which animate the heart.. 

2, But should the bard some gentle bosom find. 
By nature taught to feel another's woe, 

With Friendship's voice to s^the the wounded nfind. 
And bid the lonely stranger ' welcome know. * 

s. Almighty Power I to thee our lives we owe. 
Thou Lord of heaven, and earth below ; 
Direct and cherish what to us is given, 
And guide us in the way from earth to heaven 



CHAPTER XIII. 
SOCIETY. 

1 . We were bom for society. And the miod never so 

etfectually unburdens itself from the cares, troubles, per- 
plexities and commotions of the world as in the cooTcrsa- 
tion of well chosen friends. 

9, Society \nay be compared to a number of gingers. — 
Though there may be different parts sung, yet if they are 
a\\ ^ung so as to produce a coocord or agreement of sound?. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Gktide. 67 

harmony will be prcduced. And as the voices rise a&d 
fall by due degrees from high to low, and from low to high, 
it produces a diversity, aod has charms beyond our power 
to tell. But when one's singing does not chord^with the 
rest, it produces a discord, and no discord can be agreeable. 
The same observations will hold good with respect to mu- 
sical instruments. Each string gives its proper sound >i 
some high, some low, thus pleasure and harmony abound. 
So with society, where all the members of it live together 
in peace, love and friendship, there happiness and harmo- 
ny are always found. But when one plays a contrary 
part, it produces misery, pain, trouble and perplexity of 
heart. 

1 . HAIL social converse ! source of purest pleasure^ 
Sweet and reviving as the rosy morning, 

When first the day-star gilds the face of nature 

With his blest radiance. 

2. Hail sacred friendship ! fraught with choicest blessings, 
Where souls congenial taste the sacred union, 
Bound by the cement of refined aflfection, 

Founded on Virtue. 

3. Truth, when unfolding, enlightens oup researches, 
Yet painful languor springs from ceaseless study, 
Welcome, sweet converse, kind refreshing cordial, 

Ever delightful. 

4. Thy charming influence soothes the ruffled passions, 
While pale misfortune seeks the weary spirits ; 

So the clouds will vanish, where the radiant sun^beams 

Shine in full splendour. 

5. If thus exalted thy enlightening pleasure, 

In these dull regions, how sublimely glorious, 
Mid the circling mansions where immortal Friendship 

Blooms in Perfectioa I 



58 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or., 

HYMN IV. 

THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 

1 . LET thy kingdom, blessed Saviour, 

Come, and bid all jarring cease ; 
Come, O come, and reign forever, 

Son of love and Prince of peace ! 
V^isit now thy precioiis Zion, 

See thy people mourn and weep ; 
Day and night thy lambs are crying, 

Come, good shepherd, feed thy sheep. 

^2. Many follow men's inventions 

And refuse the Gospel laws ; 
Hence divisions and contentions 

Sully the redeemer's cause : 
Hence we suffer persecution, 

While the foolish virgins sleep ; 
While there's envy and confusion. 

Come, good Shepherd, lead thy sheep. 

3. Some of Paul, some of ApoUos, 

Some of Cephas, few agree i, 
Jesus, let us hear thee call us, 

Help us. Lord, to follow thee ; 
Then we'll rush through what encumber*. 

Ev'ry hindrance overleap ; 
Fearing not their force or numbers, 

Come, good Shepherd, feed thy sheep. 

4. Lord, in us there is no merit, 

We've been taught it from our youth ; 
Guide us, Lord, by thy good Spirit, 

That shall teach us all the truth : 
On the gospel we will venture. 

Till in death's cold arms we sleep ; 
Love's our bond, and Christ our centre, 

Come, good Shepherd, feed thy sheep. 

^. Come, good Lord, with courage arm us, 
Persecution we'll not fear ; 
Nothing, Lord, we know can harm us. 
While our loving Shepherd's near ; 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, b^ 

Glory, glory be to Jesus, 

At his name our hearts do leap ; 
He both comforts us and frees us, 

The good Shepherd feeds his sheep. 

Hear the Prince of your salvation, 

Saying, " fear not, little flock, 
Christ himself is your foundation, 

Ye are built upon this rock : 
Shun the paths of vice and folly, 

Lest you sink into the deep ; 
Look to God and be ye holy, 

I delight to feed my sheep.'* 

God and Christ our souls shall rest on, 

Taught by Christ, we own his name , 
Sweetest of all names is Jesus, 

How it doth our hearts inflame. — 
Glory 1 glory ! give him glory, 

Strong is he, and he will keep ; 
He will clear our way before us, 

Xbe good Shepherd feeds his sheep. 



HYMN V. 

PREACHER'S FAREWELL. 

1. Farewell, my brethren in the Lord, 

The gospel sounds the jubilee, 
My stammering tongue shall sound aloud. 

From land to land, from sea to sea ; 
And as I preach from place to place, 
I'll trust alone in God's free grace. 

2. Farewell, in bonds and union dear, 

Like strings you twine about my heart. 
1 humbly beg your earnest prayer, 

Till we shall meet no more to part, 
Till we shall meet in worlds above, 
Encircled in eternal love. 

3. Farewell, my earthly friends below. 

Though all so kind and dear to me 
jVIy Jesus calls and I must go, 



60 Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or. 

To sound the gospel jubilee. 
To sound the joys and bear the news. 
To Gentile world, and royal Jews. 

4. Farewell, young people one and all, 

While God shall grant me breath to breathe. 
ril pray to the eternal All, 

That your dear souls in Christ may live, 
That your dear souls prepared may be, 
To reign in bliss eternally. 

5. Farewell, to all below the sun ; 

And as I pass in tears below. 
The way is straight my feet shall run ; 

And God will keep me as I go ; 
My God will keep me in his hand, 
And bring me to fair Canaan's land. 

6. Farewell, farewell, I look above ; 

My God, my friend, to thee I call ; 
My joy, my crown, my only Love, 

My safeguard here, my heavenly all ; 
JVIy theme to preach, my song to sing, 
My only joy till death, amen. 



HYMN VI. 
THE WEARY SOUL. 

1. I'm often like some lonesome dove, 

Who mourns her absent mate, 
From hill to hill, from vale to vale, 

Her sorrows to relate. 
But Canaan's land is just before, 

Sweet rest is coming on, 
A few more beating winds and rains. 

My sorrows will be gone. 

2. what a glorious sight appears 

To my believing eyes, 
Methinks I see Jerusalem 

A city in the skies I 
Bright angels whisp'ringme awav. 

O come, my brother, co«e ; 



The Auxiliary and Supplement arf Guide. 



^\ 



For 1 am willing to be gone 
To my eternal home. 

3. Farewell mj brethren in the Lord, 

Who are to Canaan bound ; 
And should we never meet again 

Till the last trump shall sound, 
I hope that I shall meet you there 

On that delightful shore, 
In oceans of eternal bliss, 

Where parting is no more. 



HYMN VIL 

MOURNING SOULS, 

1 . Poor mourning souls in deep distress, 

Making sad lamentation, 
Find themselves lost in wickedness, 

And under condemnation ; 
While thunderbolts from Sinai's mount. 

Do sound with loudest terrour, 
While we are lost in God's account, 

WeVe drown'd in grief and sorrow. 

2. Now here we are in deep distress, 

Most worn away with trouble, 
Day after day we seek for rest, 

But find our sorrows double. 
Says Satan, fatal is your state, 

Time past you might repented, 
But now you know it is too late. 

So make yourselves contented. 

3. How can we live, how can we breathe. 

Under such sore temptation, 
Conclude our day of grace is past ; 

Lord hear our lamentation ; 
For we are weary of our lives, 

Of groans and bitter crying, 
Our wants are great, our mind's in strait. 

Our spirits almost fainting. 
6 



62 BeJ^t^€s of Primitive Christiajiity, or. 

4. But who is this that looketh forth, 

Just hke the blooming morning, 
Fair as the moon, clear as the sun. 

'Tis Jesus Christ adorning. 
Jesus can clothe our naked souls ; 

Jesus for us hath died, 
And now we can with pleasure sing, 

Our wants are all supplied. 

5. Now peace, and joy, and love divine, 

Into our SOU'S are flowing, 
Our will, O God, be lost in thine, 

While through the storms we're rowing : 
And when we leave this world behind, 

WeMl rise and sing in glory, 
And join in that sweet heavenly band. 

And cast our crowns before thee. 



HYMN VIII. 

CHRIST'S INVITATION TO HIS FRIENDS. 

1. ARISE, my dear frinds, my undefiPd friends, 

We hear our Christ Jesus to say ; 
The darkness is past, and the light's come at last^ 
My friends, my church I'm the way. 

2. The way that I mean, is plain to be seen, 

For I am the truth and the way. 
And you may rejoice, in this my true voice, 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

3. I'll teach you in love, yet errors reprove, 

The gospel is preached this day ; 
Go speak forth the praise of the Ancient of days j 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

4. Come away from th' world's cares, those troublesome 

That follow you night and by day : — [snares^ 

That you may be free from the troubles that be ; 
My friends, my church, Vm the way. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 63 

T). Come away from all fear, which troubles you here. 
Come into my arms, 1 now say ; 
That you miy be clear from the troubles you fear, 
My friends, my church, Tm the way. 

H. Come away from all pride, from that raging tide, 
That makes some refuse the true way ; 
Come learn to be meek, and your Jesus to seek ; 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

7. Its to you that are old, and whose hearts are grown cold. 

Your Jesus inviting doth say. 
That he's heard your cries in the world's countries : 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

8. As to you that are young, your hearts they are strong, 

Your Jesus invites you away. 
From Antichrist's charms to your Jesus' kind arms, 
My friends, my church, come away. 

9. And as to the youth that seek for the truth, 

Men's doctrines may lead you astray. 
Come, hear to my voice, and your hearts shall rejoice. 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

10. My dear brethren all, come hear to my call. 

Behold I stand knocking and say — 

O come unto me, from wickedness flee ; 

My friends, my church, come away. 

I \ . The ransom is paid, that you may be made 
1 he children of God 1 fio say ; 
There's wine on the lees as much as you please, 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

12. Come travel the road that leads you to God, 
For it is a bright shining way ; 
Come follow the truth, in age and in youth, 
. My friends, my church, I'm the way. 

1.3. Come worship your God, confess him your Lord. 
And serve him by night and by day ; 
And soon you'll go home, no more for to roam. 
My friends, my church, I'm the way. 



u4 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or, 

14. Come fellow your Guide, like a loving Bride, 

And never once steping aside ; 
Walk in the straight path and to heav*n you'll pass. 
When all things in nature subside. 

15. To glory you'll rise, and share the great prize, 

*' Be happy" my Father will say, 
'' The kingdom prepar'd by saints shall be shared, 
*' My son, my son is the way." 

}Q, O, now I do call, to bond, free and all, 
No longer in wickedness stay ; 
God's kingdom now seek, be humble and meek, 
O then come, come, come away. 

17. Then charity show to Gentile and Jew, 

Without any stop or delay ; 
Have hope and have faith, and run the straight race, 
My friends, I teach you the way. 

18. These pleasures that are, ye shortly shall sliare. 

In the blessed mansions above ; 
Where saints all will meet, theirjoys be complete. 
Their song, their song, " God is love." 



HYMN IX. 
ON BAPTISM. 



1. When John, though a man, baptising began, 
Believers in Jordan, confessing their sins. 

2. The Pharisees came, in Abraham's name, 
For to be baptised, and laid in their claim. 

3. Ye vipers, said he, v^^ho warn'dyou to flee, 

Bring forth your repentance that fruits we may see. 

4. And say not indeed, you're Abraham s seed, 
And so for baptism a right for to plead. 

5. Baptism 3 ou see, a rite is to be, 

For all true believers a privilege free. 

6. From Galilee came, Christ Jesus byname. 
For to be baptised, and was not asham'd. 

7. To Jesus, said he, why come thou to me ? 
Since I have ueed to be, baptised of thee. 



The Auxiliary and Supptemeniarij Guide, G5 

8. O suffer it so, it becomes us to show, 

All righteous obedience, wherever we go. 

9. The rite was perform'd and Jesus return'd, 

The blessing of the Father, came down on the Son. 

10. The spirit^fGod, descends like a dove. 
And lights on our Saviour, in token of love. 

1 1 . And this you may see, in the name of the three^ 
To honour baptism, do jointly agree. 

12. We'll not be asham'd where Jesus is nam'd. 

To Christians he's precious, though sinners blaspheme, 

13. We'll follow him down to the water we're bound, 
mortals see what an example we've found. 



HYMN X. 

MARRIAGE HYMN. 

1 . With cheerful voices rise and sing. 
The praises of our God and King, 
For he alone our minds unite. 

And bless with conjugal delight. 

2. This wedded pair, O Lord inspire, 
With heavenly love, and sacred fire, 
From this bless'd moment may they prore, 
The bhss divine of marriage love. 

3. O may they both increasing find. 
Substantial pleasures of the mind, 
Happy together may they be. 
And both united Lord to thee. 

4. So may they live as truly one, 

And when their work on earth is done. 
Rise join'd in love, to heaven and shar« 
The joys of love for ever there. 



HYMN XI. 

CHRIST BAPTISED IN JORDANr 

i* In Jordan's tide the Baptist stands^ 
Baptising thtt repenting Jews ^ 
6* 



*36 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or. 

The Son of God the rite demands, 
Nor dares the holy man refuse. 
Jesus goes down into the wave, 
The emblem of his future grave. 

2. But lo 1 from yonder opening skies, 

What biams of dazzling glory spread t 
Dove-like the Eternal Spirit flies. 

And lights on the Redeemer's head ! 
Amaz'd they see the power divine. 
Around the Saviour's temples shine. 

3. But hark my soul, hark and adore I 

What sounds are those that roll along^ 
Not like loud Sinai's awful roar, 

But soft and sweet as Gabriel's song ! 
** This is riiy well beloved Son,*' 
I see (well pleas'd) what he hath done. 

4. Thus the Eternal Father spoke, 

Who shakes creation with a nod ; 
Through parting skies the accents broke, 

And bid us hear the Son of God ; 
O hear his joyful w^ord to-day. 
Hear all ye nations, and obey i 



HYMN Xir. 
ON THE MILLENNIUM. 

J. The fulness of Christ's Gentile churcfi., 

Will soon prepare the way ; 
For Jews to love the Christian name, 

Brought in no more to stray. 
Then Jews and Gentiies one and all, 

Will join together here below ; 
And hear the blessed Saviour's call, 

Their Shepherd's voice they'll knovr^ 

2.. That glorious day is drawing nigh, 
When Zion's light shall come ; 
She shall arise and shine on high> 
Bright as the rising sun 1 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 

The east and west their sons resign, 

And all creation bend ; 
The church, the new Jerusalem, 

All glorious shall descend. 

3. The King who wears the golden crown, 

And holds the flaming bow, 
The holy city will bring down, 

And bless his church below. 
When Zion's reigning conquering King^ - 

Will Satan's works destroy, 
The morning stars again will sing, 

And Zion shout for joy ! 

\, The holy bright musician band, 

Who play on harps of gold. 
In holy order see them stand, 

Fair Salem to behold. 
Descending on sweet melting strains, 

Jehovah they adore. 
Such songs through earth's extensive plains. 

Were never heard before. 

♦. The streams of life will flow from heaven, 

And issue from the throne : 
The floods of strife away are driv'n, 

The church becomes but one. 
That peaceful union we shall know, 

And dwell on Jesus' love. 
And join and sing his praise below^ 

As angels do al)ove. 

^). A thousand years shall roll around, 
The church shall be complete, 
Call'd by the glorious trumpet's sound, 
Their Saviour Christ to meet ; 
» They rise with joy and mount on high. 
They fly to Jesus' arms, 
And gaze with wonder and delight 
On their Beloved's charms. 

7- Let Satan rage and boast no more, 
Nor think his time is long, 
The saints though feeble, weak and poor. 
Their great Redeemer's strong, 



^8 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 

Their troubles o'er, they'll grieve no more. 

But sing in strains of joy, 
In raptures sweet, in bliss complete, 

They'll feast and never cloy. 



*#©«* 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Some of Christ's Commandments, Words, and Sayiiigs. 

1. ** Ye are my * friends, if ye do whatsoever I command 
you." John xv. 14, 

2. ** I have called" (jiamed) '*you friends.'' John 
XV. 15. 

3. " And upon this rock I will build my j church ; and 
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Mat. xvi. 18. 

4. " Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings 
anddoeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like : He 
is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and 
laid the foundation on a rock ; and when the flood arose, 
the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not 
shake it : for it was founded upon a rock." Luke vi. 
47, 48. 

6' " Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, 
believe also in me." John xiv. J. 

6. ** 1 am the vine, ye are the branches." John xv. 5. 

7. ** I have given you an example, that ye should do as 
I have done to you." John xiii. 15. 

8. ** Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.'* 
Mat. vii. 20. 

9. ** For 1 say unto you, Among those that are born of 
women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Bap- 
tist : But he that is least in the kiugdom of God is greater 

hanhe." Luke vii. 28. 

10. ** He that believeth, and is baptised, shall be sav- 
ed ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Mark 
xvi. 16. 

11. ^Mf a man love me, he will keep my words." John 
xiv. 23. 

* Christ's Friends ; Christians. f Christ's Church. 

Christ's Church was the Church of God, for he belonged to, and wa» 
anointed and ordained of God the Head of his Church, now called the 
Christian Ch«r«b of God. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 69 

12. " If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide m 
my lo?e ; even as I have kept my Father's command- 
ments, and abide in his love.*' John xv. 10. 

13. " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things 
whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." 
Matt, xxviii. 19,20. . , r^ 

14. '' Behold, I send you forth, as sheep m the midst of 
wolves ; be ve, therefore, wise as serpents, and harmless 
as doves." Matt. x. 16. 

15. '« Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven." " Love your enemies, bless them that curse 
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them 
which despitefuUy use you, and persecute you : That ye 
may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : 
for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye 
love them which love you, what reward have ye ? do not 
even the publicans the same 7 And if ye salute your bre- 
thren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even 
the publicans so ? Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your 
Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. v. 16, and 
44—48. . 

16. " If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disci- 
ples indeed." " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoe- 
ver committeth sin is the servant of sin," John viii. 3 1 &- 34. 

17. " Go to my brethren, and say unto them, 1 ascend 
unto ray Father, and your Father, and to my God and your 
God." John XX. 17. 

18. *' Peace be unto you : as my Father hath sent me, 
even so send I you." John xx. 21. 

19. '* Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that receiveth. 
whomsoever I send, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth 
me, receiveth him that sent me." John xiii 20. 

20. Jesus answered the Jews and said, " My doctrine 
is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do hij^ 
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, 
or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of him- 
self seeketh his own glory : but he that seeketh his glory 

" that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness ie 
in him." John vii. 16 — 18. 



70 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

CHAPTER XV. 

SCRIPTURE TESTIMONIES. 

1. ** The hour cometh, and now is, when the True 
Worshippers sb 11 worship the Father in spirit an^] in 
truth : for the Fnther seeketh such to worship him." And 
'' that all men should honour the Son, t ven as they honour 
the father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not 
the Father which sent him." 

2. Jesus Christ has also sai«S ''He that heareth my 
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting 
life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed 
from death unto life.'' " For my Father is greater than I," 
'' My Father wlach gave them me, is greater than all." 

3. I can of n>ine own self do nothing ; as 1 hear, I judge : 
and my judgment is just : because I seek not mine own will, 
but the will of the Father which hath sent me." The 
works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same 
works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath 
sent me." '* Neither came 1 of myself, but he sent me.*' 
*' For I cane (own from heaven, not to do mine own will, 
but the will of him that sent me." " For whosoever shall 
do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my eieter^ 
and mother," ^md Friend, 

4. It is also recorded in the scriptures that "Jesus in- 
creased in wisdom and statue, and in favour with God and 
man." 

5. '• Ye men of Israel," said Peter, " hear these words ; 
Jesus of Naz sreth, a man approved of God among you bj 
miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in 
the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know :" Him '' ye 
have taken, .mk; by wicked hands have crucified and slain ;" 
*' Whom Go*'. h.Uh raised up"and exalted at his right hand. 
And as Stephen said, " Behold I see the heavens opened," 
and '' Jesus standing on the right hand of God :" For ho 
** being full if ihe Holy Ghost, looked up steadfj^stly into 
heaven, and s w the glory of God, and Jesus standing on 
the right hand of God." 

6. Again it is recorded, *' And Jesus being full of the 
Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the spi- 
rit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the 
devil." 



The Jhixiliary and Snpplementary Guide, IV 

7. *' And when the devil had ended all the temptation^ 
he departed from him for a season.'* * And Jesus return- 
ed in the power of the spirit into Gallilee.'' 

8. And when Jesus came to Naz reth, where he had 
heen brought up, and as his custom w .s, he went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. 
And he read in the book of the prophet Esaias, where it is 
written, " The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he 
hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deli- 
yerance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the 
blind, to set at hberty them that are bruised : To preach 
the acceptable year of the Lord " And he closed the 
book and sat down. And after he had preached he said 
unto them, '' I must preach the kingdom of God to other 
cities also ; for therefore am I sent." And he preached 
in the synagogues of Gallilee. 

9. " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with tlie Holy 
Ghost and with power : who went about doing good, and 
healing all that were oppressed of the devil ; for God was 
with him :" '' whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him 
God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly." 
And we may now go into all nations, '' preaching peace by 
Jesus Christ." '* For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who 
was preached among the people by the Apostles," when 
he was visible on the earth, preached peace and righteous- 
ness to mankind. 

10. Therefore, '' we are sanctified through the offering 
ofthehody of Jesus Christ, once for all:" Ashe said, 
*^ Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." '' This man, after 
he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on 
the right hand of God." 

IL *' Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness to 
us :" As it is written, ^^ After those days, saith the Lord, 
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will 
I write them." " And all the ends of the world shall re- 
member and turn unt»=^ the Lord : and all the kindreds of 
the nations shall worship before thee," O God ! 

12. *' Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter in- 
to the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living 
way, which he hath consecrated for us through the vale ; 
that is to say, his flesh : And having an high priest over 
the house of God : Let us draw near with a true heart, Id 
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an 



72 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure wa- 
ter." 

13. For '' ye are Christ's ; and Christ is God's." '' For 
the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." ** But 
if any man love God, the same is known of him." '' But 
to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all 
things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by 
whom are all things, and we by him." '* And that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the 
glory of GOD. the FATHER." 

14. '* Let us hold fast the profession of our fiiith without 
wavering ; (for he is faithful that promised ;) And let us 
consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good 
works : Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves togeth- 
er, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another : 
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." 

16. It was prophesied of John the Baptist, thus, ** He 
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his birth." 
And it is also recorded in the scriptures, that John's father 
and mother, Zacharias and Elizabeth, *' were both right- 
eous before God, walking in all the commandments and or- 
dinances of the Lord blameless." And that " Zacharias 
was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied." And 
that Christ *' came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to 
repentance. '' 

16. It is also recorded, *' Through the tender mei'cy of 
pur God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visit- 
ed us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the 
shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way oif PEACE." 

17. '^ As many as received him, to them gave he power 
to become the sons of God." '* Blessed are the peace- 
makers : for they shall be called the children of God." 

18. '* Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, 
and hath anointed us, is God ; Who hath also sealed us, 
and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 

19. "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, 
but are helpers of your joy : for by faith ye stand," your 
daily conduct being adorned with good works. 

20. James has said, *' Show me thy faith without thy 
works, and 1 will show thee my faith by my works." 

21. '' If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of 
daily food ; and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, 
be you warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them 
not those things which are needful to the body ; what doth 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 73 

it profit ?" " ye see then how by works a man is justified, 
and not by faith only," But by faith and works,— by that 
faith which works by love and purifieth the heart. Bles- 
sed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. 

22. " And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your 
faith virtue ; and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge 
temperance ; and to temperance patience ; and to patience 
godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to bro- 
therly kindness charity." 

23. Virtue is the immortal vine, whose branches extend 
in every direction, and brightly shine, spreading far and 
wide, richly loaded with fruit divine,— Prudence, Tem- 
perance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Mercy, Peace, Love, 
Pure Religion, and every amiable quality and fruits of 
virtue which can adorn and happify mankind, and glorify 
God. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Isaiah ix. 6. Illustrated and explained by other joassages of 
the Scriptures, 

Isaiah ix. 6. *' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son 
is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The 
mighty God, The everlasting Father, the prince of Peace." 

1st. ** For unto us a child is born,'''' 

I. '* Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, 
in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise 
men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that 
is born king of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in 
the east, and are come to worship him." " And, lo, the 
star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it 
came and stood over where the young child was." *' And 
when they were come into the house, they saw the young 
child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped 
him." And " they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." 
" And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with 
wisdom ; and the grace of God was upon him.'* 

7 



74 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

n. After Christ's resurrection, and when he was about 
to ascend up into heaven, he said unto his followers and 
disciples, that "Repentance and remission of sins should 
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at 
Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, 
behold, 1 send the promise of my Father upon you : but 
tarry ye in the city of Jorusalem, until ye be endued with 
power from on high." 

III. " And he led them out as fir as Bethany ; and he 
lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, 
while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and car- 
ried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and re- 
turned to Jerusalem with great joy ; and were continually 
iri the temple, praising and blessinx God." 

iV. John the Divine, thus says, " And immediately I 
was in the Spirit : and, behold, a throne was set in hea- 
ven, and one sat on the throne." And the ransomed of 
the Lord were clothed in white raiment, and gave glory to 
God,sayink", " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which 
was, and is, and is to come.'' And they " gave glory, and 
honour, nisd thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liv- 
eth for ever and ever," ahd " fell down before him that 
sat on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth for ever 
and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, 
and powei- ; for thou hast created ail things, and for thy 
pleasure they are and w^ere created.' 

V. •' And 1 saw in the right hand of him that sat on the 
throne, a book written within and on the back side, sealed 
with -even se.ds.' " .\nd 1 behel«i, and lo, in the midst of 
the thror;e, ' " and in the mi st of the elders stood a Lamb, 
as it had i>een slain, ' "' and he came and took the book out 
of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And 
when he had taken the book,'* they "• fell down before the 
Lamb, hcxving every one of them l:ar[)s, and golden vials 
full of oJoijrs, which are the prayers of the saints. And 
they sung a new song, *aying. Thou art worthy to take the 
book, and to open the seals theieof ; for thou wast slain, 
and hasi redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every 
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." 

VI. '' An i 1 beheld, and heard the voice of many angels 
round aboat the throne," " and the elders," saying, with 
a loud voi :e. Worthy is the Limb that was slain to receive 
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide* lb 

and glorjj and blessing. And every creature which is in 
heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as 
are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, 
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him 
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamh for ever 
and ever/' 

VII. *' After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, 
which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, 
and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and be- 
fore the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in 
their hands ; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salva- 
tion to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto 
the Lamb.'* This Lamb is " the Lion of the tribe of Ju- 
da, the Root of David," Jesus Christ the Son of God ; he 
** hath prevailed to open the bcok, and to loose the seven 
seals thereof." . 

VllL " And all the angels stood round about the throne, 
and about the elders," " and fell before the throne, on their 
faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen : Blessing, and 
glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and pow- 
er, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.'^ 

IX. '' These which are arrayed in white robes," " are 
they which came out of great tribulation, and have wash- 
ed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, 
and serve him" " in his temple ; and he that sitteth on 
the throne shall dwell among them," and God himself will 
be their God, and they shall be his people, his children. 
'' They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ;" 
" For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall 
feed them, and lead them unto living fountains of water :" 
'* And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 
neither shall there be any more pain : for the former 
things are passed away," and all things are made new. 
Jesus Christ was that holy child which was born unto us ; 
and opened a door of eternal life, glory and salvation to all 
who will turn unto God with full purpose of heart, and 
worship him in the beauty of holiness. 

2d. *' Unto us a Son is given,^' 

I. *' Behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph 

in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to 

take unto thee Mary thy wife ;" for " she shall bring forth a 

son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS ; for he shall save 



76 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

his people from their sins." '* God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- 
lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'' 

II. John thus declared, saying, " And I saw, and bear 
record that this is the Son of God." " And the angel said," 
** He shall be called the Son of God." When Jesus was 
with Peter, and John, and James, in the mountain, pray- 
ing, " there came a voice out of the cloud, saying. This is 
my beloved Son ; hear him." " Jesus saith unto his dis- 
ciples. But whom say ye that 1 am ? And Simon Peter an- 
swered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed 
art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not 
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." 
" For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, 
with his angels ; and then he shall reward every man ac- 
cording to his works." 

III. Paul to Timothy thus writes, " Now unto the King 
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour 
and glory for ever and ever." " 1 exhort, therefore, that 
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving 
of thanks, be made for all men." " For this is good and ac- 
ceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have 
all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the 
truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between 
God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; who gave himself a 
ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 

IV. And Christ himself has said, '' For whosoever shall 
be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son 
of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, 
and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." '' Whoso- 
ever therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I 
confess also before Vl\^ Father which is in heaven. But 
whosoever sh^ll deny me before men, him will I also de- 
ny before my Father which is in heaven." 

V. The apostle Paul has written to the Romans thus, 
'* But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the 
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, 
shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that 
dwelleth in you." 

VT. " Martha saith unto Jesus ;" " I believe that thou 
art Christ, the Son of God." Jesus saith, '- I am come a 
iigdt intu ;L:- 'vo"V^, t^^^t whosoever believeth on me 
should not abide in darkless ;" '* For I came not to jiuige 



The Auxiliary and Supplenieraary Guide. 11 

the world, but to save the world." '^ The Father which 
sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, 
and what I should speak." '' And," said Jesus, '* I know 
that his commandment is life everlasting : whatsoever I 
speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I 
speak." " Ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told j^ou 
the truth, which i hitve heard of God." Jesus frequently 
declared himself to be the Son of God. He was declared to 
be the So}i of God by the Apostles, and by righteous men and 
women of old. Angels seot hy the Almighty Father, also 
declared that Jesus Christ was the So7i of God. Fhihp 
baptised the eunuch on bis confessing and giving evidence 
that he believed that Jesus was the Son of God. And 
Christ was also repeatedly declared to be the Son of God, 
by voices from heaven, which were plainly and distinctly 
heard by multilijdes when he was upon earth. 

VII. " For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they 
are the sons of God,'' and '' children of God.*' '* And if 
children^ then heirs, heirs of God ^ mid joint heirs with 
Christ: if so be that we suifer with him, that we may be 
also glorified together." 

VIII. " And we know that all things work together for 
good to them that love God." *' It is Christ that died, yea, 
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of 
God, who also maketh intercessions for us. '^ '• The suf- 
ferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compar- 
ed with the glory which shall be revealed in us." O *' the 
glorious liberty of the children of God.'' If we are faith- 
ful into death, we shall receive a crown of glory at God's 
right hand, where Jesus is. 

3d. *' And the government shall be upon his shotdder,'^ 

I. " The angel GabrieP' said unto Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, '' He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of" 
the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him the 
throne of his father David : And he shall reign over the 
house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be 
no end.' 

II. ''And when Herod had gathered all the chiel 
priests, and scribes of the people together, he demanded 
of them where Christ should be born. And they said un- 
to him, in Bethlehem of Judea : for thus it is written by. 
the prophet, " And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, 
art not the least among the princes of Judea : ior out oi 

7* 



t^ Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

thee shall come a governor, that shall rule my people Is-^ 
rael/' 

III. Jesus said unto Pilate, " My kingdom is not of this 
world : If my kingdom were of this world, then- would my 
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews.'* 
But the Jews said, " He ought to die, because he made 
himself the Son of God.'' Many have been persecuted, 
because they confessed that Jesus Christ was the ^Soti of 
God. 

4th. " And his name shall be called Wonderful,^' 

1. '* It was revealed unto Simeon by the Holy Ghost, 
that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's 
Christ.'* And when he saw^ him, "then took he him up 
in his arms, and blessed God," and said, " Mine eyes have 
seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the 
(dce of all people ; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the 
glory of thy people Israel." 

H. ''And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those 
things which were spoken of him.'* " And when he was 
twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem ;" and "as 
they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusa- 
lem ;" " And it came to pass, that after three days, they 
found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, 
both hearing them, and asking them questions." " And 
all that heard him were astonished at his understanding 
and answers." " And when they saw him, they were 
amazed." Again the people w^ere made to wonder, as it 
is recorded : " And he was casting out a devil, and it was 
dumb. And it came to pass^ when the devil was gone out, 
the dumb spake ; and the people wondered./* 

III. And at a certain time, Jesus ^' went up into a moun- 
tain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came un- 
to him, having with them those that were hmie, blind, 
dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at 
Jesus' feet, and he healed them ; insomuch that the multi- 
tude wondered when they saw tiie dumb to speak, the 
maimed to be whole, the Lime to walk, and the blind 
to see : and they glorified the God of Israel.'- " •I'hey 
wondered every one at all things which Jesus did." 

IV, Pass from these scenes, and behold the many mira- 
cles which he did, and hear the doctrine which he preach- 
ed, and truly, you w^ill be led to marvel, be astonished, 
wonder, and say, "His name shall be called Wonderful..*' 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 9T 

6th. *' Counsellor.'^ 

I. Moses said, '"^ The Lord thy God will raise up unto 
thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like 
unto me ; unto him ye shall hearken.'' '* And the Lord 
said unto Moses, they have well spoken that which they 
have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among 
their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his 
mouth ; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall com- 
mand him.'^ 

IL *' These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes^ 
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come : glorify thy 
Son." *' As thou hast given him power over all flesh." 
" 1 have glorified thee on earth i 1 have finished the work 
which thou gavest me to do." 

III. "1 have manifested thy name unto the men which 
thou gavest me out of the world :'* *' Now they have known 
that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee. 
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest 
me ;" " and they have believed that thou didst send me.'* 
** Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom 
thou hast given me, that thej^ may be one, as we are." 
" Father, 1 w^ill,'' " that they may behold my glory, which 
thou hast given me.'' 

IV. It is also recorded in the x\cts of the Apostles, '' For 
Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord 
your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto 
me ; him shall ye hear in all things v/hatsoever he shall 
say unto you." "=' Jesus went about all Gallilee, teaching 
in their synagogues, and preaching me gospel of the king- 
dom." 

V. Christ Jesus is called counsellor, on account of his 
superior wisdom and willingness to instruct, and to give 
counsel to men ; and also, to plead their cause between 
them and his Father, as *' a Medi.itor between God and 
man." 

Vi. When we take into consideration the superior coun- 
sel, and extraordinary advice which Jesus gave, and the 
heavenly discourses which he delivered, we may with pro- 
priety conclude, that he may well be called the best of 
counsellors. 

6th. '* The mighty God,'^ 

1. As the prophet has said, " Behold, a virgin" *' shall 
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, 
which, b^ing interpreted, is God with us/' our Master, 



S2 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

days on the earth, are as a shadow, and there is none abid- 
ing." 

IV. "As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to 
his seed forever." " The voice of the Lord came unto 
Moses, saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of 
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 
Christ also said, " My Father, and your father, my God 
and your God." 

V. Abraham is called the father of the faithful. '^ Paul, 
a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ." " To 
Titus mine own son, after the common f lith." " Paul,'' 
'* To Timothy, my dearly beloved son." '' Paul, an apos- 
tle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which 
are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus : Grace 
be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the 
Lord Jesus Christ.'* '* Blessed be the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiri- 
tual blessings in heavenly pl.tces in Christ.*' 

VL If, then, Abridiam, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patri- 
archs, and also the fiithful ministers of the gospel, have 
been cMed fathet s ; with how much more propriety might 
Jesus Christ, the Soji of God, and spiritual Head of the 
church, be called '' the e-verlusting Father ^""^ who will be, in 
spirit, with the faithful, not only to the end of the world, 
but will be eternally present with them at God's right hand, 
in the paradise above. 

8th. '^ The Prince of Peace,'' 

L On this head, we need only to observe, that Christ's 
whole doctrine, to his deciples, was, PEACE ; yea, that 
peace which the world cannot give, nor take away. As it 
is recorded, '' Christ came and preached peace" to man- 
kind, saying, " Peace 1 leave with you, my peace 1 give 
unto you : not as the world giveth, give I unto you." 
^' And as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do." , 
^* And to be spiritually miutled is life and peace." There- ! 
fore, let us earnestly and constantly try to imitate thai great 
PATERN OF PEACE and LOVE, *' the Prince of Peace." 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 

HYMN XIIL 

A GENERAL INVITATION. 

1. Come, our Christian friends and brethren. 

Bound for Canaan s happy land ; 
Come, unite and walk together, 

Jesus Christ gives the command. 
Lay aside all party spirit, 

Slight your Christian friends no more ; 
Come, unite, through Jesus' merit, 

Zion's peace again restore. 

2. We'll not bind our brother's conscience. 

This to God alone is free ; 
Nor contend for non-essentials, 

But in Christ united be. 
Th' scriptures are the grand criterion, 

These shall all our doctrine prove ; 
Christ the centre of our union, 

And the bond of Christian love. 

3. Here's our hands, our hearts and spirit. 

Now in fellowship we'll give ; 
Now we love and peace inherit, 

Show the world how Christ's Friends live 
Now we're one in Christ our Saviour, 

Male or female, bond or free ; 
God will love his friends for ever, 

May mankind in him agree. 

4. Now we'll preach and pray together. 

Praise, give thanks, rejoice and sing ; 
Now we'll strengthen one another, 

And adore our heavenly King. 
Now we'll join in sweet communion, 

'Round the table of our Lord ; 
Lord, confirm our Christian union 

By thy Spirit and thy word. 

o. Now the world will be constrained 
To believe in Christ our King ; 
Thousands, thousands be converted ; 
Round the earth God's praises sing 



^4 Beauties of Primitive Christianiiij , or^ 

Happy day ! O joyful hour, 

Thank the Lord, his name we'll bless ; 

Send thy Spirit, Lord, with power, 
Fill the world with righteousness. 

CHAPTER XVU. 
CHRISTIANITY AND THE GOSPEL. 

1. Christianity, that cause divine ! 

Leads to eternal joys above ; 
It does with faith, hope, virtue, shine, 
Founded on Charity and Love. 

2. How beauteous are their feet, 

Who stand on Z ion's hill, 
Who preach the Gospel to mankind. 
And words of Peace reveal. 

'* For," said Paul, '' I am not ashamed of the Gospel 
of Christ ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to 
every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the 
Greek." The word Gospel signifies good news, or glad 
tidings, and is commonly applied to the doctrine Jesus 
Christ himself preached, the instruction he gave, and the 
discourses he delivered, or Christ preached to the world 
by the ministers of the Gospel. 

Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have 
received mercy, we faint not : For .we preach not our- 
selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and ourselves your 
servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the 
light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to 
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the 
face of Jesus Christ. 

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, hav- 
ing the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell 
on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, 
and people, Saying with a loud voice. Fear God, and give 
glory to him ; for the hour of his judgment is come : and 
worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and 
the fountains of waters 

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus though- 
out all ages, world without end. .\inen. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, $'> 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

General View of the Belief and Practice of Christ*s 
Friends : Being a Summary of the Doctrine and 
Duties of the Christian Religion.* 



SECTlOxV I. 

A correct path to be pursued^ and a sure guide to hefoU 
lowed, to rightly believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost > 

We believe in '' God" — " the Father ;" and in '* Je- 
sus Christ"—" the Son of God ;" and in " the Spirit of 
God" — '' the Holy Ghost," as described in the Scriptures 
of Truth. As Christ himself has dec lared, saying, ** He 
that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said," &c. 

SECTION H. 

Belief concerning Chrisfs Commandments, Words, Say- 
ings, and Examples. 

We believe that Christ's comnaandments, words, say- 
ings, and examples, as recorded in the scriptvues, have 
been, now are, and will be the most important visible rules 
of faith and practice, or the most important vi«*ible guide 
to direct in moral duties, and true spiritual worship. 

SECTION Hf. 

Pre-eminent Virtues, Principles, Qualifications, Duties 
and Ordinances. 

1. We believe that the following virtues, principles, 
qualifications, and ordinances tend to promote the cause 
of Christianity, the glory of God, and real peace, love, 
harmony, union, and happiness among mankind, viz : 

2. Repentant e, faith, prayer, justice, mercy, brotherly 
love, and righteousness, " which slxall exceed the righteous- 
ness of the Scribes and Pharisees. 

3. Purity of heart, sincerity, truth, integrity^ candour, 
humanity, fuithfulness, piety ^ useful knowledge, wisdom, 
harmlessness, innocence, kindness, liberality, ho?iesty, indus- 
try, benevolence, economy, frugality, prudence, and a /brgir* 

♦ For farther information concerning* Faith and Practice, ask of God. 
friu>gi?e(h liberally and upbraideth not ; and" search the Scriptures," 

8 



86 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 

ing disposition, '^ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, 
your heavenly Father will also forgive you." *' There- 
fore ail things whatsoever ye would that men should do to 
you, do ye even so to them : for this is the law r;nd the 
prophets.' 

4. Unfeigned friendship^ fortitude^ obedience ard coti- 
descension and suh?nission in all reasonable requirements, 
holiness, gratitude, godliness, patience, fasting, watching 
and prayings ** that ye enter not into temptation." 

5. Guarding against sin and wickedness of every descrip- 
tion, seeking and striving to do good and to -aorsh-p God 
in spirit and in truth — the beauty of holiness. *' beek ye 
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; md all 
these things shall be added unto you." 

6. Bapti$?n, For " Jesus when he was baptised, went 
up straightway out of the water ; and, lo, the heavens were 
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descend- 
ing like a dove, and lightmg upon him : And, lo, a voice 
from Heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I 
am well pleased ; '' hear him." And at another time 
Peter said, '* Can any man forbid water, that these should 
not be baptised, which have receivrd the Holy Giiost as 
well as we ?" " Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believ- 
ed, and were baptised." '' When they believed Philip 
preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God,'' 
*' they w^ere baptised, both men and women.'* " Arise 
and be baptised. ' ' Repent and be baptised every oae 
of you *' And to the eunuch, " Phiip said, if thou be- 
lie vest with all thine heart, thou may est'" be bij^tised. 
" And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ 
is the Son of God:'* Then '* they went down both into 
the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; and he baptised 
him." ** And when they were come up out of the water,"' 
the eunuch ** went on his way rejoicing.' Baptism being 
a figure of purity, and *' not the j.utting away of the fihb 
of the hesh, b\it the answer of a good conscience towards 
God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.*' Baptism is a 
New Testam^-at s icrament, or ordin ince, and an emblem 
of regeneration or washing or cleansing from wickedness 
or pollution, and shadows forth a death and burid to s>n, 
and a rising to newness of life in Christ, henceforth to w^aik 
in the way of Gospel peace and love, in this sacrament, 
water is to be used, and administere<l as nearly as may be 
according to the examples given in the scriptures : But wc- 



XTie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 87 

do not say that any particular mode is absolutely essential* 
Yet it must be a baptising or washing " in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost/ It is said 
by sc^e, and perhaps with much propriety, that this sa- 
crameEit represents death, buri.d. and the final resurrec- 
tion, or the pouring out of the Spirit of God into the heart, 
and cleansing it from sin, and wasning off the wickedness 
thereof It is also said, that Baptism signifies, [1] The 
outward ordinance or sacrament, wherein the washing 
with water represents the cleansing of the soul from sin 
by the blood of Christ, Luke vii. 29, 30 1 Pet. iii. 21. 
[2] Inward spiritual washing, signified by the outward 
sign, M n. iii 11. See also Luke xii. 50. Eph. iv. 2. Mark 
i. 5. 8 Luke iii. 16. John i. 26. 1 Cor. i. 17. Matt. iii. 
13, 14. 16. Matt, XX. 22 Col ii. 12. Heb. vi. 2. Matt, 
iii. 6. Acts xxii. 16. Kom. vi. 3. 1 Cor i. 13, 14. 16. 
1 Cor. X. 2. 1 Cor. xii. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 29. GaL iii. 27. 
John i. 25: 33 John iii. 26. 

7. Eating the Bread and drinking the Wine in remem- 
brance of Jesus — thereby^ emblematically^ typically, and sa- 
eramentally showing forth Jesus^ death till he come in the 
clouds of heaven, with po7ver and great glory. "For as 
often as }e eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew 
the Lord s deith till he come '' For, -' Jesus took bread 
and blessed it, and break it, and gave it to his disciples, 
and said, Take, eat ;" '' this is my body which is given 
for you : this do in remembrance of me '' '' And he took 
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 
Drink ye all of it : For this is my blood of the New Testa- 
ment, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'* 
** But let a ii jn examine himself, ana so let him eat of that 
bread, and drink of tiiat cup :'* — Calling to mind the Anoint- 
ed Saviour wJth a humble desire to be obedient to his 
commands and words, and lo act according to his will and 
examples — spiritually discerning Jesus* body and blood 
which was giv^n for the remission of sins ; lest he eat and 
drink unworthily, or to his own condemnation. The Lord's 
Supper, as it is sometimes called, is a sacrament instituted 
by the Lord Jesus, as an emblem of his body which was 
bruised for our transgressions, and his blood which was 
shed for the remission of sins ; and is to be continued in 
his church — the Christian church of God, for a memorial 
of Christ, until his second coming. In the last day, Christ 
will descend from heaven with a mighty shout, and with the 



So The Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 

voice of the archangel, and the trump of God ; and all that 
are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth. 
The just sh dl be raised to honour, immortal glory, and 
perfect happiness. But the unjust shall be raised to re- 
ceive the just punishment due for their crimes and wick- 
edness. 

8. Perseverance in holiness, morality, steadfastness, gen- 
erosity, hospitality^ giving alms not to be seen of men but 
imth a willing and cheerful heart, peace, phi lanthi opy, tem- 
perance, sobriety^ 7neekness, and hur/iility. " Sing with the 
spirit and sing with the understanding also." " Pray with 
the spirit,' and " pray with the understanding also.'* 
'• Giving thanks always for all things unto tjod :" that is, 
'' In every thing give thanks ; for this is the will of God 
in Christ Jesus concerning you." '' i'rove all things ; 
hold fast that which is good." Be steadf ist, unmoveable, 
always abounding in the work of the Lord. 

9. True belief heavenly hope charity, and divine love. 
" Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all 
thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with rdl thy mind, 
and thy neighbour as thyself.*' '' Now abideth faith, hope, 
charity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charity.'' 

10. Reconciliation and resignation to the 'will of God, 
• Be ye reconciled to GOD.'^ 

11. Friend ! "love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, and with ail thy soul, and with all thy mind." 
'* Love thy neighbour as thyself" 

1^ Friends! love your enemies ; love all mankind. 
Do goon, be kind, merciful, char-itible to all, whether 
they be friends or enemies. Feed the hungry, clothe the 
naked, visit the sick, the afflicted, the fathf^rless, the wi- 
dows, and the imprisoned, and do unto every person all 
the good you can consistently with your own circumstan- 
ces, that is, do all the good you cau to others, both in word 
and deed, without essentially injuring yourselves, and keep 
yourselves unspotted from the world. Be virtuous, and 
let all your thoughts, words, and deeds be crowned with 
whatever shall tend to the peace, happiness, harmony, 
love, and the virtuous union of mankind, and the glory of 
God. 

13. *' O that men would praise the Lord for his good« 
ness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men : 
Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, 
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.'* 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 8^ 

14. The four cardinal, principal, or chief virtues, are, 
as some suppose, 1st. Love to God ; 2d. Good will to all 
mankind ; 3d. Humility in riches, blessings or prosperity ; 
and 4th. Patience in poverty, afflictions, tribulation, or ad- 
versity. 

15. If mankind universally loved God supremely, there 
would be no idolatry upon earth, nor any of its attendant 
abominations; no profaning the name of God ; no oppos- 
ing, corrupting, pervertmg, nor abusing the truth ; no self- 
praise, nor hypocrisy, no dispising of those who are meek, 
lowly and virtuous ; no arrogance, ingratitude, nor pride 
under the smiles of Providence ; and no murmuring under 
its frowns. Love would render it their meat, their drink, 
their joy, and their happiness, to reverently fear, worship, 
praise, honour, and obey God, and quietly acquiesce in all 
his dealings towards them. 

16. And if they loved their fellow-creatures as them- 
selves, there would be no wars, rivalships, antipathies, nor 
breach of treaties or agreements between nations or indi- 
viduals ; no envyings, strifes, wrongs, slinders, back-bit- 
ings, duels, litigations, nor intrigues between neighbours 
or others ; no deceitful flattering complisance, no persecu- 
ting bitterness in, nor about religion ; no deceit, fraud, 
nor over-reaching in trade ; no tyranny, venality, haughti- 
ness, nor oppression ; no envy, nor evil-devisings among 
any people ; no murders, robberies, thefts, burglaries, nor 
brothels in city or country ; no cruelty in parents, rulers 
or others ; no ingratitude nor disobedienre in children * 
no unkindness, treachery, nor implacable resentments and 
hatred between friends or relations ; no jealousies, nor bit- 
ter contentions in f imilies ; in short, none of these streams 
of death and discord, which poison or destroy the harmo- 
piy of society and its enjoyments, would be known or prac- 
tised : But all would be peace, harmony, friendship, hap- 
piness and love. 

17. Humility in prosperity, divinely adorns the truly 
rirtuous. 

18. Patience in adversity, bespeaks innocence of heart 
worthiness of mind, and resignation to the will ot'God ; and 
greatly adorns the chyracter of the truly pious Chris- 
tian. 

19. Chastity, — <' Keep thyself pure,'' anri undefjled. 
'' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God.'' 

8^ 



90 Beauties of Primitive Christiunity, or, 

20. Marriage, — " Marriage is honourable in all." 

Love, friendship, honour, truth and pure delight ! 

Harmonious mingle in the Nuptii.l rite : 

In Ed€7i first the holy state began, 

When perfect innocence distinguish'd man. 

^' For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and 
shall cleave to his wife ; and they twain shall be one." — 
" Let us follow after the things which make for peace." 

21. ''Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter 
against them." " So ought men to love their wives as 
their O'.vn bodies." '' Live juyfully with thy wife." 

22. '* Teach the young women to love their husbands, 
* to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at 

home." 

23. " Ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands." 
*« Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as 
it is fit in the Lord." '' For the husband is the head of 
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.*' 

24. *' Let every man have his own wife, and let every 
woman have her own husband." And let every man and 
his wife continually live in the true bands of peace, love, 
and friendship, until God, in his divine providence, shall 
by death separate them. 

25. Finally, friends, cultivate every amiable, social, vir- 
tuous principle, and *' worship God in the beauty of holi- 
ness," until God shall call you to your final happy home. 

26. Prudence^ frugality^ and economy, — *' Christ said 
unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that 
nothing be lost.*^ P/a/n, decent^ wodtst apparel. '' Adorn*' 
yourselves " in modest apparel," " not with broidered 
hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; but (which be- 
cometh people professing godliness) with good works. 
Your " adorning, let it not be that outward adorning, ' of 
plaiting the hair, and of vvearing of gold, or of putting on 
of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in 
that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek 
and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great 
price." It IS inconvenient for men, but will do very well 
for women to wear lou^^ hair. 

27. '' Swear not at all ; neither by heaven, for it is 
God's throne : nor by the earth, for it is his footstool.'- 
''Above all things, my brethren, swear not ; neither by 
heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any oth^r oath ; 



The Auxilio,ry and Supplementary Guide, 9 f 

^' lest ye fall into candemnation." Yet, ye may affirm, that 
ye will tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, under the 
pains and penalties of perjury. This is only to be done 
when ye are called upon, by any legal authority, to give 
your evidence concerning any case or difference, between 
any parties. 

28. " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be 
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." *' Who- 
soever belie veth that Jesus is the Christ," being convert- 
ed unto righteousness, " is born of God." 

29. '* Repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for 
repentance." *' God now commandeth men every where 
to repent." 

30. '* It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days." 
" Blessed is the man that Jkeepeih the Sabbath from pollu- 
ting it." '' The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath- 
day." *' The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the 
Sabbath." 

31. " Ye shall not oppress one another." *' Oppress 
not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, or the 
poor," *' Ye shall not deal falsely.'^ *•' Do violence to 
no man." 

32. Diligence^ faithfuhiess^ and perseverance. *' It is 
required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." " Be 
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of 
life." 

33. " Thou shalt not raise a false report." *' Keep thy 
tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Let 
no filthy communication proceed out of thy mouth. 

34. *' Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest 
they be discouraged ; but train them up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord." 

35. " Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this 
is right." " Children, obey your parents in all things : 
for this is well pleasing Uiito the Lord." '* Honour thy 
fither and mother.** 

3G. "• If any man teach otherwise, and' consent not to 
wholesome words, even to the words of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness ; 
he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions 
and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, 
evil surmisings, perverse disputin^s of men of corrupt 
minds, and destitute of the truth.-' '' In vain do they wor- 



$2 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or, 

ship God, teaching for doctrines the commandments of 
men." 

37. *'In all things, shewing thyself a pattern of good 
works : in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sin- 
cerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned." 

38. " Masters, give unto your servants that which is 
just and equal." " Thou shalt not rule over him with ri- 
gour." 

39. ** Servants, obey in all things your masters accord- 
ing to the flesh ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers :" 
** knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the 
same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or 
free." 

40. Civil Rulers, '* Thou shalt provide out of all the 
people, able men, such as fear God ; men oi truth, hating 
coveteousness ; and plice such over them to be rulers.'' 
" He that ruleth over men, must be just, ruhngin the fear 
of God." 

41. '* Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for 
the Lord's sake ;'- '* unto governors, as unto them that are 
sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the 
praise of them that do well." *' For rulers are not a ter- 
Four to good works, but to the evil." 

42. Prayer^ is either mental or vocal, ejaculatory or oc- 
casional, either private or public ; for ourselves, or others ; 
for the procuring of good things, or the removing or pre- 
venting of things evil, i Tim. ii. 1,2. As God is the only 
object of prayer, Psal. 1. 15. and as we must pray for 
others, as well as for ourselves, Jam. v. 16. So we are 
to pray fervently. Col. iv. 12, sincerely, Psal. xvii. 1, 
constantly. Col. iv. 2. with faith, Jam. v. 15, by the help 
of the holy Spirit, Rom. viii. 26. Make no long prayers for 
a pretence to be seen and heard of men. Matt. vi. 5, 6, 7. 
Mat. xxiii. 14. " When ye pr^x , use not v;nn repetitions, 
as the heathen do ; for they think that they shall be heard 
for their nauch speaking." '* After this manner, therefore, 
pray ye:" 

43. " Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
eame. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done inearth, 
as it is in heaven." " Give us this day," and '* day by day 
our daily bread." " And forgive us our sins," debts, and 
trespasses, " as we forgive our debtors ;" and those that 
have trespassed against, wronged, or injured us. And let 
us not be l«d into, nor be overcome by temptation ; but 
deliver, protect, and keep us from evil, sin, wickedness, 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 93 

and transgression ; *' For thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." 

44. Paul and Barnabas, speaking to many of the Jews, 
and religious proselytes, "persuaded them to continue in 
the grace of God,'' by " confirming the souls of the disci- 
ples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith." 

45. " The work of righteousness is peace : and the ef- 
fect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance for ever." 

46. The time will come, when all nations " shall beat 
their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pru- 
ning hooks ; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, 
neither shall they learn war any more." 

47. " But they shall sit every man under his vine and 
fig-tree," and " worship God in the beauty of hohness,'' 
and " none shall make them afraid :" " for the earth shall 
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover 
the sea.'* This prophecy will be fulfilled at or before the 
glorious Mellennium 

4b. Then will the kingdom of God become in all its glo- 
ry, beauty, and n«agnificence ; then will the will of God be 
completely done in earth as it is in heaven ; then will un- 
bounded, perfect love, peace, harmony, and unspeakable 
pleasure, joy and happiness, universally prevail among the 
inhabitants, who, at that time, shall dwell on the face of this 
terraqueous globe. This will fully take place, and be 
completely accompliehed, at or before the commencement 
of the glorious Millennium. 

The sorrows of the mind, 

Be banish'd from this place ; 
Religion never was design'd, 

To make our pleasures less. 

Salvation ! let the echo fly, 

The spacious earth around ; 
While all the armies of the sky, 

Conspire to raise the sound. 



94 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 



SECTION IV. 

The Scriptures — the pre-eminent writings : — Sketches of 
what they declare, teach, or hold forth. 

1. We believe the scriptures ; and that they contain the 
only essential, visible, written or printed rules, or articles 
of faith or belief, and practice or works ; or that they are 
the only essential, visible, written or printed source, 
whence we are to draw our religious and moral sentiments, 
whether they relate to faith or practice ; and that we con- 
sider no creed or confession of fdith, to be binding: on 
Christians, any farther than they agree with the scriptures 
of the Old and New-Testaments, or agree wiih the New, 
and with the fulfilment of the Old ; i. e. such parts of the 
Old Testament, as will apply to, or are binding on us, to- 
gether with the New. 

2. And that mankind ought to search the scriptures, for 
they testify of Christ, describe the creation of all things, 
and by whom created, and often how, and always for what 
purpose they were created ; and teach mankind to wor- 
ship and adore the Great Primeval or First Cause of order, 
happiness, and love ; describe the state of man, before 
and after his transgressing God's command, by eating the 
forbidden fruit, and point out Guds doings to, and among 
the human family, before, at, and since the time of Christ's 
being visible on the earth : 

3. And that the scriptures declare the Omnipotence, 
Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God ; his love towards 
his people in the plan of man's salvation, by sending his 
Beloved Son into the world, to be the Great Propitiation 
for man s disobedience, transgression and sin ; and his wis- 
dom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, in the works of 
creation, preservation, and redemption ; and that by sur- 
veying the works of God's creation, mankind are taught to 
admire the perfect Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, of the 
Almighty Creator, Regulator, Supporter, Father, Dispo- 
ser, and Ruler of the Universe : 

4. And that the scriptures also declare the ** resurrec- 
tion of the dead, both of the just and unjust," and the 
"judgment to come," ^^ when the Son of man shall come 
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him ; then shall 
he set upon the throne of his glory : and before him shall 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 9b 

be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one 
from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the 
goats.'* 

5. '* For the hour is coming, in the which all that are 
in the graves shall hear his voice, and shnll come forth ; 
they that have done good, unto the resurrec tion of life ; and 
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damna- 
tion : As it is written, " Behold, 1 come quickly ; and my 
reward is with me, to give every man according as his 
work shall be :" that is, '* according to that he hath done, 
whether it be good or bad." 

6. And that every one of the faithful, righteous and 
blessed of God, " that shall endure unto the end, the same 
shall be saved,'" and shall receive the reward " Well done, 
thou good and faithful servant," '* enter thou into the joy 
of thy Lord," and " shall receive a crown of glory that 
fadeth not away,"" and being admitted into the paradise 
above, *' at God's right hand,' will be ow^ned and confess- 
ed of Christ before God and the holy angels, and shall en- 
ter into " life eternal,*' to enjoy perfect happiness for ever ; 
— " then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the 
kingdom of their Father," and shall '' inherit the kingdom 
prepared for them from the foundation of the world :" 

7. And that the cursed who " blaspheme agamst the 
Holy Ghost' and continue and die in their trespasses and 
sins, wickedness, malice, hatred, and envy, *' shall not be 
forgiven ;"' that is, they have '' never forgiveness," but 
will be doomed to depart from Christ : As it is written, 
•' Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels :*' " And thes*^ shall go 
away into everlasting punishment' — " eternal damna- 
tion :" '' but the righteous into life eternal :" 

8. ** Wherefore 1 say unto you, All manner of sin and 
blasphemy, shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphe- 
my against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it 
shall be forgiven him . but whosoever speaketh against 
the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this 
world, neither in the world to come. ' ** For out of the 
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." 

9. *^ A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart 
bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the 
evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. But I say unt© 
y©u, That for every idle word that men shall speak, they 



96 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^, or, 

shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. For 
by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words 
thou shalt be condemned :'' 

10. For " those things which proceed out of the mouth 
come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. 
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adul- 
teries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies : 
These are the things which defile a man :'* But words 
fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of silver ; 
— ^Edifying and administering consolation and useful know- 
ledge unto the hearers. 

11. And that the general tenor of the scriptures help to 
declare, point out, and to prove the importance and valid- 
ity of Christ's Divine Mission ; and afford other useful 
knowledge and instruction by reminding mankind of their 
duty to themselves, to their friends and enemies, and to 
God : 

12. But that nothing except the powerful operation of 
the Spirit of God can, or will effect a saving conversion 
from sin, wickedness, and nature's darkness to God's mar- 
vellous light, and to true spiritual righteousness, holiness, 
and salvation. 

13. If we be led by the Spirit of truth, then the Spirit 
©f truth, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, will teach us 
and guide us into all truth. He that seeketh me early 
shall find me. He that hungereth and thirsteth after right- 
eousness shall be filled. 

14. The people in Berea " were more noble than those 
in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all 
readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily wheth- 
er those things were so." Jesus will '* gather together 
in one the children of God" of all nations. 

15. *' Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are love- 
ly, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be' 
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these 
things." 

Come all who love the Lord, 

And let your joys be known ; 
Join in a song of sweet accord, 

As children of God's throne. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 

Lord, thy commands are clean and pure, 
Enlightening our beclouded eyes ; 

Thy threatenings just, thy promise sure, 
The Gospel makes the simple wise. 



SECTION V. 

The best method to be pursued in order to understand the 
Scriptures rightly, 

1. We believe that the true literal and spiritual mean- 
ing of the scriptures can be more readily, clearly, correct- 
ly, and fully understood by paying strict attention to the 
true tenor and connection of their various parts, by com- 
paring scripture with scripture and ** by comparing spir- 
itual things with spiritual," and by noticing the true mean- 
ing and connection of the whole ; and how the various 
parts thereof are dependant on, and connected with one 
another ; and by taking into consideration the various cii- 
cumstances, times, places, and dispensations ; and by un- 
derstanding the types, shadows and figures that are used 
therein ; and the manner in which the scriptures were 
first spoken or written ; and on, and unto whom each part 
was designed to be binding or to apply ; and for, by, and 
unto whom each part was spoken or written. 

2. Let every person strive to have a correct knowledge 
of, and rightly to underst md the scriptures, not from what 
men say, or have said or written of them, but from the 
scriptures themselves, that they may clearly see, fully 
comprehend, and plainly discover the true use, meaning, 
and application of the different parts thereof, as they are, 
and as they were originally designed to be understood. 

3. *' Search the Scriptures." 

JSTote by the Friends. The whole scriptures of the Bible taken as a book, 
i. e. the Old and New Testament taken together, mxv be compared to an 
inexhaustible quantity of o^old in the ore, which is of all inetalic substances 
the most pure. But whv?n in Ihe ore there is some dross attached to it. Yet 
a skilful refiner can separate the pure G^oid fom the dross. The Beauties 
of Primitive Christianity may be compared to a sufficient quantity of this 
gold for all common us^s, after this separation has taken place, and after 
the golden ore has passed through the refiner's hands and been thoroughly 
refined. Yet the refiner lias nor made U!-e of all the golden ore, but*' has 
taught all how they may refine it, and make use of all of it, for the.iiselves, 
©r for their instruction and happiness, without pinning their faith in tht 
sleeves of any man or set of men. 



98 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

Teach me to feel another's woe ; 

To shun all faults I see ; 
That mercy 1 to others show, 

That mercy show to me. 

Now let our songs ahound 

And every tear be dry, 
We're marching through Emmanuel's ground 

To fairer worlds on high. 

SECTION VL 

The most appropriate descriptive Scriptural names given 
to the People and Church of God. 

1. We believe that those, who believe in Christ, and 
love, follow and obey him, and hear, observe and keep 
his commandments, words, and sayings, and also do them, 
and follow his examples, as described in the scriptures ; 
(for Christ spake, acted, and set the example for mankind 
to follow, as God had commanded him) ; and also believe 
in, and worship God in spirit and in truth ; according to 
the light they at the time have, are and ought to be called, 
Friends^ God^s Friends ^ Friends of God, ChrisVs Friends^ 
Friends of Christ, Jesus^ Friends, Friends of Jesus, Jesus 
Chrisfs Friends, Friends of Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus' 
Friends, or Friends of Christ Jesus, — and in the most ex- 
tensive collective view, God''s Church, or Church of God, 
ChrisVs Church, or Church of Christ, Chrisfs Church of God, 
or God's Christ's Church, or the Christian Church of God^ 
or God-s Christian Church, the Church Triumphant : 

2. And that every one of Christ's Friends, is a member 
or branch of, and belongs to this " general assembly and 
Church of Christ," — " Jesus Christ himself being the 
chief corner stone,'' and '* the head of the body, the 
Church.'* •* Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of 
God.'' " Give no offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the 
Gentiles, nor to the Church ©f God." '* Lead quiet and 
peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty." 

3. But that the several established Congregations of 
Saints, assembhng in different parts of a country, town, or 
city, observing and keeping God's commandments, com- 
municated to mankind by or through Christ, that is, by ob- 
serving Christ's commandments, words and sayings, and 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 99 

following Christ's examples, in moral and religious duties 
and ordinances ; and being united together by the strong 
ties of heavenly fellowship, charity and love, to worship 
the only ever living, all-wise, true, eternal, and Almighty 
God, in spirit and in truth, and to promote the glorious 
cause of Christianity, may be called, " The Church,-^ or 
*' Churches,^' or Congregations of Saints. 

4. The Christian Church of God, may be compared to 
a fruit-bearing tree. The trunk or body of the tree, may 
be compared to Christ. And as the tree is rooted in, and 
draws its nourishment and support from the earth,' so Christ 
receives his power from God. And the main limbs or 
branches thereof, represent the different churches estab- 
lished at different times, in different places, independent of 
each other, but all centreing in the body of the tree, i. e. in 
Christ. And as these limbs or branches, centre in, and draw 
their nourishment and support, through the body of the 
tree from the earth, so the churches centre in, and draw 
their support, principles and doctrine from God through 
Christ. The limbs upon the main limbs, represent each 
individual person, member or branch of an mdividual 
Church, to which he or she is attached. The dry, dead 
main limbs, or main limbs which bear no fruit, repre- 
sent the churches which have become dead to tru{> reli- 
gious worship or devotion ; and such limbs as are partly 
dead and partly alive, re[#esent the luke-warm churches. 
The dry or dead limbs, which are branches of my main 
limb, represent a spiritually dead individuc.1 professor ; 
though he or she is still attached to the church, yet they 
bear no fruit, but are as dead weights, which injure the 
live main branch. One single branch growing out from 
the body of the tree represents an individual person who 
believes in God and Christ, and lives by faith in the Son of 
God, but is not attached to any particular church. 

5. And for the sake of convenience, each visible Church 
of God, i. e. each Christian Church of God, may be known 
by some suitable token, descriptive term, or appellation, or 
by location, in like manner as the following, viz : The 
Church of God, No. — , in Huntington, Long Island, N. Y. 
or God's Church, No. — , in Brandon, Vt. or Christ's 
Church in Clefton-Park, New-York ; or Christ's Church 
of God, No. — , in Boston, Massachusetts ; or Christ's 
Church of God in the East, West, North, South, or Cen- 
tre Parish, in Providence, in Rhode-Island, in the United 



100 Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or^ 

States of America ; or Christ's Church of God in New- 
York, New -York, United States of North-America ; or 
The Christian Church of God in street, in Philadel- 
phia ; or Christ's Church of God in London, in England, 
in Europe ; or Christ's Church of God in Damascus, in 
Asiatic Turkey ; or Christ's Church of God, No. — , in 
Smyrna in Asia Minor ; or Christ's Church of God No. — -, 
in Cairo, in Egypt, Africa ; or God's Christian Church 
No. — , in Albany, N. Y. or The Christian Church of 
God No. — , in Bethlehem. Such are only branches, 
here below, of God's Church above — where all is peace, 
happiness, harmony and love. 

6. The word Synagogue^ is most commonly used to de- 
note the place where the Jews publicly assemble to pray, 
to read, and explain or expound the law, &c. to preach or 
teach their religion and the law, and hear the reading of 
the law and the prophets, — the Scriptures ; and to give 
divine instruction, and to perform public worship, pray- 
ers, praise, &.c. 

7. Synagogue, is, therefore, an appropriate name for 
the house or place which is often called a Meeting-house, 
a Church, or a Chapel. The different Synagogues may 
be distinguished one from another by their number, i, e, 
the No. they bear, or by descriptive names or terms, or by 
location, in like manner as the churches are ; uhich see. 
The Temple was a house or p^ce designed or appropri- 
ated to, and for, prayer, reading, preaching, teaching, pub- 
lic divine instructions, public acts of religion, worship, &c. 

8. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spiiit 
saith unto the Churches ; to him that overcometh," " and 
keepeth my works to the end," " will I give to eat of the 
tree of hfe, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." 
And '' I will confess his name before my Father, and before 
his angels." 

9. " To the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write : 
These things saith he that is holy, he that is true." '' I 
know thy works : behold I have set before thee an open 
door, and no man can shut it : for thou hast a little strength 
and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." 
«' To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in 
my throne, even as 1 also overcame, and am set down with 
my Father in his tjuone." •' Be thou faithful unto death, 
and I will give thee a crown of life." 

10. We do not say that it is a sin, or even wrong for 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 101 

Friends —ChrisV s Friends to be called by any applicably 
scriptural, or properly descriptive name ; — yet may we 
not with propriety adopt thi.t name wriK h Christ himself 
in a particular manner gave ? Which was ** Friends y^^ — 
« My Friends,^'' Christ's Friends. John \v, 14, 15. 

11. " God hath said," ♦« I will be their God, and they 
shall be my "^ people." 

12. ** The disciples, Christ's Friends, " were called 
Christians, first in Antioch." 

13. ** Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian." 

14. " If any man suffer as a CHRISTIAN, let him not 
be ashamed ; but let him glorify God." 

15. May we be finally received into the Grand Church 
above — there to be perfectly happy eternally — singing the 
song of redeeming love, — melodiously procLummg celes- 
tial honour and Hallelujah to our Father God, in trium- 
phant, immortal, extatick joys. — harmoniously and Sweet- 
ly sounding the praises of our heavenly Father for ever 
and ever, without end. Amen. 

if I am right, thy grace impart, 

Still in the right to stay ; 
If I am wrong, oh teach my heart 

To find that better way. 

Our Wisdom, Wealth, and Power, we find 

III one Jehovah all combined ; 
On Him we fix our joyful eyes. 

And all our souls in raptures rise. 

SECTION Vll. 

The Establishment and Goverriment of God^s Christian 
Church, on the principles of Equality, Justice, and Equity, 
— consistent with the Rights of Alan. 

1. We believe that any number of Friends,— Christ's 
Friends have a right, given tiiem by the God of nature, 
heaven, and the universe, to unite together to constitute, 
or re-constitute, confirm, or re-confirm, estal)lish, or re- 
establish a church in any suitible place, for the purpose of 
worshipping God, and for helping to support and promote 

* God's People. 
9* 



102 Bemties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

the Christian Religion, for social and divine purposes, the 
happiness of mankind » and the glorj of God. 

2. And that the Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Pastors, 
Preachers or Teachers ; and Messengers ; and Deacons ; 
and Stewards ; and Scribes, Secretaries or Clerks ; and 
others, ought to perform their several duties as nearly as 
may be, as they are called, or were called, according to 
their several stations and abilities, and as the scriptures 
describe ; — or as they have been called by Divine Power. 

3. None usurping authority over the rest, " neither as 
being lords over God's heritage ;" but ail being united to- 
gether in Brotherly, Co-operative. Christian union, equal- 
ity, and fellowship, each filhng their proper station as God 
has designed them as the members of one body — being 
brethren, fellow-labourers, and fellow helpers together 
in the Church of God, for the essential good and mutual 
edification of each other ; and for spreading universal, 
unbounded love, charity, and peace among the human 
tamily. 

4. " For the body is not one member" but '^ many mem- 
bers, yet but one body." «' Behold, the Lord cometh 
with ten thousand of his saints." "' Now therefore ye are 
no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with 
the saints, and of the household of God." 

6 " For ye are all one in Christ Jesus." " Now there 
are diversities of gifts, bat the same Spirit." 1 Cor. xii. and 
xiii. chaptei-s. Rom. xii chapter. 

6. Christ is the great Shepherd and Leader of his sheep, 
for Jesus was " for the sufiering of death crowned with 
glory and honour ; that he by the grace of God should 
taste death for every man :" 

7. As " one in a certain place testified, saying," " Thou 
crowndst him with glory and honour, and didst set him 
over the works of thy hands." 

8. And '* Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 
Father," *• this is life eternal, that they might know thee, 
the onl} true God, and Jesus Christ whom tnou hast sent." 

9. '^ Neither pray i for these alone, but for them also 
which shciil believe on me through their word ; That they 
all may be one ; as thou, F«ther, art in me, and 1 in thee, 
that they also may be one in us : that the world may be- 
lieve that thou ha?t sent me. And the glory which thou 
gavest me, 1 have given them ; that they may be one, even 
as we are one," 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 103 

10. " For there are three that hear record in heaven, 
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : and these 
three are one." 

11. May not any number of people, therefore, with pro- 
priety, constitute or establish a church, in any suitable 
place, in the name of God and the Anointed Saviour? And 
is not each church, so constituted or established, a free 
and independent church, and not under the control of any 
other church or churches, society or societies, nor under 
any man, men or set of men, in any respect, provided they 
do not transgress the civil authority ? 

12. And that no man or set of men, has any right to con- 
trol them respecting religion ; (nor any right to control 
any free individual of the human race, in religiuus obser- 
vances or faith,) or to impose any rule, creed or discipline, 
or ceremony, or ordinance, or article of faith or practice 
upon any church, unless it be by their own free-will or 
consent, or by their request ; and that by a majority nf the 
Brethren in the church to which they belong :~Eccept 
what the civil law requires : 

\3, And that the Brethren of each church, have the 
full power and right to regulate their own church affairs, 
and to decide in all cases relating to the church to which 
they belong, by a majority of their votes : — Provided^ 
they duly regard the laws of their country ; that is, the laws 
of the land where God in his providence may direct their 
lot ; that is, the civil law where they, at the time, live or re- 
side, 

14. Finally, ** let all things be done freely, decently^ 
and in order ;" far the real good and happiness of man- 
kind, and the greatest glory of God — calling to mind thr^t 
Virtue and true Religion are the brightest jewels, the most 
beautiful ornaments, and include the noblest, the most 
happifying, and the best principles of man ; and that the 
constant and sincere practice of them in all their various 
branches, confers the highest honour on God our Crea- 
tor. 

15. Therefore, of our own free wi!l and accord, we 
willingly join with the *' Church of God," '* Christ's 
Church," the Christian Church of God, God^s Christian 
Church. No. in 

constituted, established, or re-established 

A. D. andA.L. or A. M. 

wholly putting our trust in God, and firmly relying on his 
benign favour, grace, and Almighty Protection. 



104 Beauties of Primitive Christianity y ©r, 

While shepherds watch'd their flocks by night, 

All seated on the ground. 
The Angel of the Lord cdme down, 

And glory shone around. 

16. For the Angel's voice soon after the birth of Jesus 
Christ, was heard saying unto the shepherds ; *' Fear not : 
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in 
the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord :^' 
And suddenly *' a multitude of the heavenly host," joined 
the joyful welcome song, '* praising God, and saying, Glory 
to God in the highest— and on earth PEACE— good will 
towards men." Universal Love, Peace, and Harmony 
abound — Hatred, Malice, and War, soon be known no 
more. We sing the happy time, when cruelty shall cease, 
celestial love increase with universal peace ; and primi- 
tive Christianity, in friendship and purity, reign on every 
hill, mountain, vale ; river, sea, ocean and plain ; and no 
mortal be by mortal slain. 

Firm united let us be, 
In the bonds of Charity ; 
As a band of brothers join'd, 
Loving God and all mankind. 

JSfames of the people who constituted, or re-constituted, 
confirmed^ or re-confirmed, established, or re-estab- 
lished the Church of God. JVo. in 

on this day of A.JD. 

^Friends. ]God''s Church and People, '^Chrisfs Friends, 

, A ^ 

BRETHREN. SISTERS. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 105 

CHl^RCU RECORD. 

BOOK No. 1. 



BRETHREN. SISTERS. 



N. B. The names are to be continued on the following pages, or they are 
to be filled up at some future church meeting, with such things as ought to 
be recorded, together with the names of those who may at different times 
join the church. And then a new Church Book maj be commenced, to 
which may be prefixed the following title, viz : Church Record ; Booky 
JVb. 2. and so on, each book having a higher number, as long as time shall 
endure, or until all the saints of God shall be called home to join the Grand 
Church above. 



I0« MEMORANDUM. 



MEMORANDUM. 107 



lOS Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Remarkable Contrasts and Parables — collected from the 
Scriptures. 

1. " And Jesus said unto them, take heed, and beware 
•f covetousness : for a man's life consisteth not in the 
abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he 
spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a cer- 
tain rich man brought forth plentifully : And he thought 
within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have 
BO room where to bestow my fruits ? 

2. And he said, This will 1 do : I will pull down my 
liarns, and build greater ; and there will J bestow all my 
fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, 
thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine 
ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said unto him, 
Thou fool I this night thy soul shall be required of thee : 
then whose shall those things be which thou hast provid- 
ed ? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not 
fich towards God." Luke xii. 15 — 21. 

3. " And he spake this parable unto certain which trust- 
ed in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised 
others : 1 wo men went up into the temple to pray ; the 
one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee 
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, 
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adul- 
terers, or even as this Puljican. 1 fast twice in the week, 
I give tithes of all I possess. 

4. And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up 
so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, 
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, This 
man went down to his house justified, rather than the oth- 
er : for every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased ; 
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 
xviii. 9 — 14. 

5. *' There was a certain rich man, which was clothed 
ia purple rjnd fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. 
And there was a certiin beggar, named Lazarus, which 
was Liid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed 
with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table ; — 
moreover, the dogs came and licked his #res. 

6. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was 






The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 109 

♦^.arried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man 
also died, and was buried ; and in hell he Hfted up his 
eyes, being in torments, and seeing Abraham afar off, and 
Lazarus in his bosom And he cried, and said, Father 
Abraham, have mercy on me ; and send Lazarus, that he 
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; 
for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said. Son, 
remember that thou in thy hfe-time, receivedst thy good 
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things ; but now he is 
comforted, and thou art tormented. And, besides all this, 
between us and yon; there is a great gulph fixed ; so that 
they which would pass from hence to you, cannot ; nei- 
ther can they pass to us, that would come from thence.'' 
Lukexvi. 19—26. 

7. '* Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened un- 
to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to 
meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and 
fiv% were foolish. They that were foolish, took their 
lamps, and took no oil with them : But the wise took oil in 
theii^vessels with their lamps. 

8. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered 
and slept. And at midnight there w-as a cry made, Behold, 
the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Then all 
those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the 
foolish said unto the wi-^e, Give us of your oil ; for our 
lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying. Not 
so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : but go rather 
to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

9. And, while they vvent to buy, the bridegroom came \ 
and they that were ready went in with him to the mar- 
riage : and the door was shut Afterward came also the 
other virgins, saying. Lord, Lord, open to us. But he an- 
swered and said. Verily 1 say unto you, I know you not. 
Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the 
hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 

10. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling 
into a far country, who called his own servants, uiid deliv- 
ered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five ta- 
lents, to another two, and to another one ; to every ma« 
according to his several ability; and straightway took his 
journey. 

11. Then he that had received the five talents, went 
and traded with the same, and made them other five ta- 

10 



110 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ dr, 

lents. And likewise he that had received two, he also 
gained other two. But he that had received one, went 
and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. 

12. After a long time, the Lord of those servuits Com- 
eth, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had receiv- 
ed live talents came, and brought other five talents, say- 
ing. Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five t.ilents : behold, 1 
have gained besides them fivet^^lents more. His lord said 
unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant ; thou 
hast been faithful over a iew things, I will m ke thee ruler 
over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

13. Me also that had received two talents came, and 
said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents : behold, 
1 have gained two other talents besides them. His lord 
said unto him, Well done, good and l^iithful serrant ; thou 
hast been faithful over a few thing?, 1 will make thee ruler 
over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

14. Th^n he which h^id received the one talent came, 
and said. Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, 
reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering #here 
thou hast not strewed : and I was afraid, and went and hid 
thy talent in the earth ; lo, there thou hast that is thine. 

15. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wick- 
ed and slothful serv^ant, thou knewest, that 1 reap where I 
sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed ; thou 
oughtest, therefore, to have put my money to the exchan- 
gers, and then at my coming 1 shoulu have received mine 
own with usury. 

16. Take, therefore, the talent from him, and give it 
unto him which hrsd ten talents. For unto every one that 
hath, shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but 
from him that hath not, shall be taken away, even that 
which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into 
o^jter darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
teeth. 

• 17. 1i When the Son of man sh ill come in his glory, and 
hU the holy angela with him, then slrall he sit upon the 
throne of his glory : And before him sha'l be gathered all 
nations ; and he shall separate them one from another, as 
I* shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : And ke 
shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the 
left. 

18. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 111 

pared for you from the foundation of the world. For 1 
was an hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, 
and ye gave rae drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me in : 
Naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : 
I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

19. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying!:, Lord, 
when saw we thee an hungered, an*] fed thee ? or thirsty, 
and gave thee dnnk ? When saw we thee a gtntnger, and 
took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee ? Or wh<::n saw 
we thee sick, or in prison, and come unto thee ? And the 
King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily, I say unto 
you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of 
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

20. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, 
Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared 
for the devil and his angels : For I was an hungered, and 
ye gave me no meat : I v^as thirsty, and ye gave me no 
drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, 
and ye clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited 
me not. 

21. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, 
wh^ saw we thee an hungeied, or athirst, or a stranger, 
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto 
thee ? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say 
unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of 
ihese, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into 
everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life eter- 
nal." Matt XXV. chapter. 

22. '' He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a pro- 
phet shall receive a prophet's reward : and he that re- 
ceiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, 
shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever 
shall give to drink unto one of these little ones, a cup of 
cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say un- 
to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Matt. x.41, 42. 

23. '' And John answered him, saying. Master, we saw 
one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not 
us ; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. 
But Jesus said. Forbid him not : for there is no man 
which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak 
evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. 
For whosoever shall give you a cup of %vater to drink in my 
name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, 
He shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend 



112 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better i'ov 
him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and 
he were cast into the sea/' Mark ix. 38—42. See Matt, 
xxiii. and xxiv. chap. 

24. And Jesus, answering, said, A • certain man went 
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, 
which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and 
departed* leaving him half dead. And by chance there 
came down a certain priest that way ; and, when he saw 
him, he passed by on the other side. And hkewise a Le- 
vite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him. 
and passed by on the other side. 

26. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came 
where he was : and when he saw him, he had compassion 
on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, 
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and 
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the 
morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, and 
gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of 
him ; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come 
again 1 wih repay thee. Vv hich now of these three, think- 
est thou, was neighbour unto him that fell amonguthe 
thieves ? And he said, He that shewed mercy on nim. 
Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." Luke 
X. 30—37. 

26. *' Behold, what manner of love the Father haftll 
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of 
God !^' " Beloved, now are we the sons of God." '* Who- 
soever comnntteth sin transgresseth also the law : for sin 
is the transgression of the law.'' '' Whosoever abideth 
in him sinoeth not' knowingly. " Let no man deceive you : 
he that doeth righteousness is rhghteous." " The Son of 
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the 
devil." '* Wnosoever is born of God doth not commit 
sin" knowingly. " Whosoever doeth not righteousness, 
is not of God." '* Whoso hath this w^orld's good, and 
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels 
of compassion trom him, how dwelleth the love of God in 
him ?' '' Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but 
in deed and m trijth." See 1 John, iii. chapter. 

27. '* Wliosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of 
God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." See 1 John 
iv. chapter. " Who is he that overcomevh the world, but 
he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God,'^ See 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 1 io 

I John V. chapter. " Beloved, follow not that which is 
evil, but that which is good.'' See John's Third Epistle. 

28. *' And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast 
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and over- 
threw the tables of the money changers, and the seats of 
them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My 
house shall be called the house of prayer ; but ye have 
made it a den of thieves. And the bhnd and the lame came 
to him in the temple ; and he healed them. 

29. IT And when the chief priests and scribes saw the 
wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in 
the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David ; they 
were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou 
what these say ? and Jesus saith unto them, Yea ; have ye 
never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou 
hast perfected praise ? 

30. ^ And he left them, and went out of the city into 
Bethany ; and he lodged there. Now in the morning, as 
he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he 
saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing 
thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grovr 
©n thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree 
withered away. And when the disci pies saw it, they mar- 
velled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away ! 
Jesus answered, and said unto them. Verily 1 say unto you, 
If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this 
which is done to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say unto 
this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the 
«ea ; it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall 
ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

31. ^ And when he was come into the temple, the chief 
priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he 
was teaching, and said. By what authority doest thou these 
things ? and who gave thee this authority ? And Jesus 
answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, 
which if ye tell me, I in Hkc wise will tell you by what au- 
thority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence 
was it ? from heaven, or of men ? 

32. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we 
shall say. From heaven ; he will say unto us, Why did ye 
not then beheve him ? But if we shall say, Of men ; we 
fear the people : for all hold John as a prophet. And 
they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he 

10* 



114 Beauties of Primiiive Christianiiy^ ©7\ 

said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I <fai ^ . 
these things. ^^H|il 

33. IT But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons f ^ 
and he came to the first, and said, Son, go, work to-day in 
my vineyard. He answered and said, 1 will not : but af- 
terwards he repented, and went. And he came to the se- 
cond, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go. 
sir ; and went not. Whether of them twain did the will 
of his father ? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith 
unto them. Verily 1 say unto you, that the publicans and 
the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For 
John came unto you in the wi.y of righteousness, and ye 
believed him not ; but the publicans and harlots believed 
him : and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not after- 
ward, that ye might believe him. 

34. IT Hear another parable : There was a certain 
householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it 
round about, and digged a wine press in it, and built a 
tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far 
country : And when the time of the fruit drew near, he 
sent his servants to tiie husbandmen, that he might receive 
the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, 

and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. i 

35. Again, he sent other servants more than the first : 
and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent 
unto them his son, Sciying, They will reverence my son. 
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among 
themselves, This is the heir ; come let us kill him, and 
let us seize on his iiiheritmce. And they caught him, and 
casthiin out of the vineyard and slew him. 

36. When the lord, therefore, of the vineyard coracth, 
what will he do unto these husbandmen ? They say unto 
him. He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and 
will let out his viney rd unto other huc?bandaien, which 
shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith 
unto them. Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone 
which the builders reje :ted, the same is become the head 
of the corner : this is the Lord's doings, and it is marvel- 
lous in oin eyes. 

37. Therefore say i unto you, The kingdom of God 
shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth 
the fruits thereof And who^oever shall fall on this stone 
shall be broken ; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will 
grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and 



The Auxiliary and Supplemmtary Guide. I IS 

Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he 
spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, 
they feared the multitude, because they took him for 9 
prophet." Matt. XXI. 12—46, Christ came to his own [the 
Jewish nation] but his own received him not ; but as rha- 
ny as did receive him, to them gave he power to become 
the sons of God. Christ was of the Jews, as it is said. 
Salvation is of the Jews. 

38. IF And Jesus spake many things unto the whole mul- 
titude in parables, saying, '* Behold, a sower went forth to 
sow : And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way 
«ide, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Somf^ 
fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth ; 
and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deep- 
ness of earth ; and when the sun was up, they were scorch- 
ed ; and, because they had not root, they withered away. 
And some fell among thorns ; and the thorns sprung up 
and choked them. But others fell into good ground, and 
brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, 
some thirty-fold. Who hath ears to hear let him hear. 

39. Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the sower. When 
any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and under«tand- 
eth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away 
that which was sown in the heart. This is he that receiv- 
ed seed by the way side. But he that received the seed 
into stony phices, the same is he that heareth the word, 
and anon with joy receiveth it : yet hath he not root in 
himself, but dureth for a while ; for when tribulation or 
persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is 
offended. He also that received seed among the thorns, 
is he that heareth the word ; and the care of this world, 
and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he 
becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the 
good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understand - 
eth it ; which also heareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some 
an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. 

40. H Am ther parable put he forth unto them, «aying, 
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sow- 
ed good see(f in his field ; But while men slcrpt, his enemy 
came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, 
then appeared the tares also. 

41. So the servants of the householder came and svl\ 
unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field i 



116 Beauties of Primitive ChrisHaniiy, or, 

from whence then hath it tares ? He said unto them, Aa 
enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wih 
thou then that we go and gather them up ? But he said. 
Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also 
the wheat wdth them. Let both grow together until the 
harrest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the reap- 
ers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in 
bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat into my barn, 

42. % Another parable put he forth unto them, saying. 
The kingdom of hea?en is like to a grain of mustard-seed, 
which a man took and sowed in his field ; Which indeed 
is the least of all seeds ; but when it is grown, it is the 
greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree ; so that the 
birds ol the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

43. H Another parable spake he unto them. The king 
dom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took 
and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was lea- 
vened. His disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto 
us the parable of the tares of the field. 

44. He answered and said unto them. He that soweth 
the good seed, is the Son of man ; the field is the world ; 
the ^ood seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the 
tares are the children of the wicked one ; the enemy that 
sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the 
world ; and the reapers are the angels. As, therefore, 
the tares are gathered and burned in the fire ; so shall il 
be in the end of the world. 

45. The Son of mm sb.ill send forth his angels, and they 
shall gather out of his kingdom, ail things that offend, and 
them which do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a furnace 
of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then 
shall the righteous shine forth, as the sun m the kingdom 
•f their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

46. IT Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto trea- 
sure hid in a field ; the which, when a man hath found he 
hideth, and, for joy thereof, goeth and selleth ail that he 
hath, and buyeth that field. 

47. H Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a mer- 
chant-man seeking goocily pearls ; who, when he had found 
one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and 
bought it. 

48. H Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net 
that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind ; 
which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 117 

down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad 
away. 

49. So shall R be at the end of the world ; the angels 
shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the 
just ; and shall cast th^m into the furnace of fire ; there 
shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto 
them, Have ye understood ail these things ? They say un- 
to him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore 
every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of hea- 
ven, is like unto a man that Ls an householder, which 
bringeth forth out of his treasure, things new and old. 

50. ^ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finish- 
ed these parables, he departed thence. And when he was 
come into his own country, he taught them in their syna- 
gogues, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, 
Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty 
works ? Is not this the carpenter's son ? is not his mother 
called Mary ? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Si- 
mon, and ludas ? And his sisters, are they not all with us ? 
Whence then hath this man, all these things ? And they 
were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A proph- 
et is not without honour, save in his own country, and in 
his own house. And he did not many mighty works there, 
because of their unbelief.'' Extracted from Matt. xiii. 
chapter. 

61. " Then drew near unto him all the publicans and 
sinners, for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes 
murmured, saying. This man receiveth sinners, and eat- 
eth with them. 

52. ^ And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one 
of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilder- 
ness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And 
when he has found it, he layeth it on bis shoulders, re- 
joicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together 
his fi'iends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with 
me ; for 1 have found my sh«;ep which was lost. I say 
unto you. That li.ewise joy shall be in heaven over one 
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just 
persons, which need no repentance." Christ came not 
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. They that 
are whole, need not a physici; n ; but they that are sick. 

53. IF ** Either what woman, having ten pieces of sil- 
ver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and 



118 The Beauties of Piiioitive Christianity^ or. 

sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? And 
when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and neigh- 
bours together, saying, Rejoice with me ; for I have found 
the piece which 1 had lost. Likewise, I say unto you. 
There is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over 
one sinner that repenteth. 

64. % And he said, a certain man had two sons : AnC' 
the younger of them said to his father. Father, give me the 
portion of goods that falleth to me. And he delivered un- 
to them his living. 

55. And not many days after, the younger son gathered 
all together, and took his journey into a far country, and 
there wasted his substance with riotous living. And, when 
he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; 
and he began lo be in want. And he went and joined hmi- 
self to a citizen of that country ; and he sent him into his 
fields to feed swnie. And he would fain have filled his bel- 
ly with the husks that the swine did eat ; and no man gave 
unto him. 

56. And when he came to himself, he said, How many 
hired servants of my father's have bread enough, and to 
spare, and 1 perish with hunger I 1 will arise, and go to 
mv father, and will say unto him. Father, 1 have sinned 
against heaven, iind before thee, and am no more worthy 
to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired ser- 
vants. 

57. And he arose, and came to his father. But, when 
he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had 
compassion, and ran, bind fell on his neck, and kissed him. 
And the son said unto him. Father, I have smned against 
heaven, and in thy sight, and am no n.ore worthy to be 
called thy son. 

58 But the fether said to his servants, Bring forth the 
best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, 
and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, 
and kill it ; and let us eat, and be merry : For this my son 
was dead, and is alive again.; he was lost, and is iound.— - 
And they began to be merry. 

59. Now. his c' ler son was in the field : and as he came 
and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 
And he called one of his servants, and asked what these 
things meant. And he said unto him. Thy brother is come ; 
and thy father hath killed the fritted calf, because he hath 
received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and 



The Auxiliary and Supplchieutary Guide, 119 

would not go in ; therefore came his father out and en- 
treated him. 

60. And he, answering, said to his father, Lo, these 
noany years do I serve thee ; neither transgressed I at any 
time thy commandment ; and yet thou never gavesi me a 
kid, that I might make merry with my friends : But as 
soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy 
hving with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fntted calf. 
And he said unto him, son, thou art ever with me, and all 
that I have is thine. It is m.^et that we should make mer- 
ry and be glad ; for this thy hrother was dead, and is alive 
again ; and was lost and is found." Luke xv. chapter. 

61. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, is no less beauti- 
ful and pathetic, than it is instructive and consolatory. It 
brings home to our hearts, the paternal tenderness of an 
eflfectionate father to his son, and shows his readiness to 
forgive, embrace, and make nappy his son, though he 
has done ever so wrong, and conducted ever so wick- . 
edly, but afterwards repents, returns, and shows a dispo- 
sition of, and brings forth fruits meet for repentance. On 
the other hand, in the case of the elder brother, it shows 
the unbounded selfishness of depraved human nature. 

62. This parable sets before us, in the most striking 
view, the progress and fatal consequences of vice, on one 
hand ; and on X'n^ other, the paternal readiness of our Al- 
mighty Father to receive the returning penitent, to pardon 
and mercy. It is a balm and a great consolation, to such as 
come to themselves, and see their wickedness, and are de- 
termined to return to their heavenly Father, in humility 
and beg for mercy. For if they do, while they are yet a 
great way off, his pit^fng e}^e will behold, embrace, and 
forgive them. He will put on them the robe of righteous- 
ness, the best of all robes ; they shall be shod with, or on 
their feet shall be put the preparation of the Gospel of 
peace. 

63. It is also peculiarly instructive to youth ; and would 
become \evy instrumental to preserve them from the per- 
nicious allurements of sin and folly, if they would serious- 
ly reflect upon it ; if they would contemplate, in the ex- 
ample ofthe prodigal before them, the nature and the ef- 
fects of those vices, which brought him to extreme distress, 
and which will ever bring to distress all those who indulge 
them. - 



120 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

64. And as there can be no question that the indulgence 
of these vices tends to misery, sorrow, and ruin, more or 
less conformable to that of the young man's in the parable : 
so can there, on the other hand, be no doubt but the avoid- 
ing of these vices, and the cultivation of the contrary vir- 
tues, will, by the grace of God, produce present peace and 
future happiness. 



HYMN XIV. 

MORNING, NOON AND EVENING DEVOTION. 

When rising Phoehfis ushers in the morn, 
And golden beams ih' impurpled skies adorn : 
Wak'd by the gentle murmur of the floods, 
Or the soft music of the waving woods ; 
Rising from sleep with the meiodious quire. 
To solemn sounds Td tune the hallow'd hymn. 
T-hy name, O GOD ! should rest upon my tongue. 
Till ev'ry place prov'd vocal to my song : 
(Delightful task I with dawning light to sing. 
Triumphant hymns to heav'n's eternal King,) 
Some courteous angel should my breast inspire, 
Attune my lips, and guicie my cheerful voice, 
While sportive echoes catcb the sacred sound, 
Swell ev'ry note, and bear the music round ; 
While mazy streams meandering to the main, 
Hang in suspense to hear the heavenly strain ; 
And hush'd to silence, all the feather'd throng, 
Attentive listen to the tuneful ^ong. 

Father of Light ! exhaustless source of good ! 
Supreme, eternal, self-existent God 1 
Before the beamy Sun dispensed a r.iy, 
Flam*d in the azure vault, and gave the day ; 
vBefore the glimm'ring Moon with borrow'd light. 
^ Shone queen amid the silver host of night ; 
High in the heav'ns, thou reign dst superior Lord, 
By suppliant angels worshipp'd and ador'd. 
With the celestial choir then let me join, 
In cheerful praises to the Power Divine. 
To sing thy praises, do thou O GOD ! inspire, 
A mortal breast with more than mortal fire ; 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, IS I 

In dreadful majesty thou sit'st enthron'd, 
With light encircrd, and with glory crovvn'd ; 
Thro' all iafinitude extends thy reign, 
For thee, nor heav'n, nor heav n of heav'ns contaik; 
Bat tho' thy throne is fix'd above on high, 
Thy Omnipresence fills immensity ! 
Saints rob*d in white, to thee their anthems bring, 
And radiant Martyrs hallelujahs sing : 
Heav'n's universal host their voices raise, 
In one eternal chorus, to thy praise. 
And ro^nd thy radiant throne, with one accord, 
Sing Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. 
At thy creative voice, from ancient night. 
Sprang smiling beauty, and yon worlds of light : . 
Thou spak'st — the planetary Chorus roll'd. 
And all th' expanse, was starr'd with beamy gold ; 
Let there be light, said GOD — Light instant shone, 
And from the orient, burst the golden sun : 
HeavVs gazing hierarchies, with glad surprise, 
Saw the first morn invest the recent skies, 
And straight th' exulting troops thy throne surround. 
With thousand thousand harps of heav'nly sound : 
Thrones, powers, dominions (ever-shining trains !) 
Shouted thy praises in triumphant strains : 
Great are thy works, they sing, and, all around, 
Great are thy works, the echoing heav'ns resound. 
The effulgent Sun, insufferably bright, 
Is but a beam of thy overflowing light ; 
The thunder is thy voice ; the tempest hurl'd, 
Tremendous roars the vengeance o'er the world ; 
Thou bow'st the heav'ns, the smoking mountains nod, 
Rocks fall to dust, and nature owns her God ; 
Pale tyrants shrink ; the wicked stand aghast. 
And impious kings in horrour breathe their last. 
To this great God alternately Pd.pay, 
The cr'ning anthem, aed the morning lay. 
11 



122 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ tr. 

At morning, noon, and night Pll pray 
To me, O God ! thy blessings bring ; 
Give me thy Grace — my life, my all, 
A beart submissive to thy call, 
A heart that no desire will move, 
But to adore, obey, and love. 
That God who form'd the universe, 
In such harmonious order ! 
(Infinite Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty.) 



HYMN XV. 



The existence of God inferred frorn a view of the beautu 
and harmony oj^ creation. 

None but a power omnipotent and wise, 
Could frame this earth, or spread the boundless skies i 
He made the whole : at his omnific call, \ 
From formless chaos rose this spacious ball, \ 
And one Almighty GOD is seen in all. ) 

By hiui our cup is crown'd, our table spread. 
With luscious wine, and life-sustaining bread. 
' What countless wonders doth the earth contain 1 
What countless wonders the unfathomVl main ! 
Bedrop'd with gold, there scaly nations shine, 
Haunt coral groves, or lash the foaming brine : 
JEHOVAH S glories blaze all nature round. 
In heav'n, on earth, and in the deeps profound ; 
Ambitious of his name, the warblers sing, 
And praise their Maker while they hail the spring : 
The Zephyrs breathe it, and the tiiunders roar. 
While surge to surge, and shore resounds to shore. 
But Man, endow'd with an immortal mind, 
His Maker's image, and for heaven designed ! 
To loftier notes his raptur'd voice should raise. 
And chant sublimer hymns to his Creator's praise. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 123 

HYMN XVI. 

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 

At length the moment came, as fix'd by God's command : 
Jehovah then arose, and spread his plastic hand. 
From pre-existing chaos, rear'd this wondrous frame 
•Of worlds, and suns, and stars, to speak his matchless fame : 
To round the globe, the golden compass then was spread, 
One foot was fix d, the other turn'd, and thus he said : — 
' Thy bounds are plac'd, oh world ! no further shalt thou 

go ;' 
The earth appear'd, and Ganges then began to flow. 
The sun and every orb, b} just dimensions bound. 
Were fix'd to move, and thus to turn their stated round. 
The moving spheres harmonious rolPd along in air, 
Some turn'd to bound the day, and circumscribe the year. 
Unnumber'd orbs began the ethereal race, 
And mov'd sublimely through the expanse of space. 
Now discord ceas'd, and order fully bore the sway, 
The moon to rule the night, and Sol s bright beams the day. 
Then God was pleas 'd — The morning stars together sung. 
And heaven's high arch, then loud, with hallelujahs rung. 
'Twas Gabriel led, while every angel join d the song ; 
* Let God be prais'd, while worlds majestick roll along.' 



HYMN XVH. 

THE CREATION OF ADAM AND EVE :— 

Our First Parents : This once innocent, happy pair, dis 

graced by siiiy and exiled from Eden, 

Five days had pass'd, the sixth had now began, 
Jehovah said, ' Come let us form the man.' ♦ 

The man was form'd, both male and female one, 
To multiply, and thus mankind begun. 
Fair Eden bloom'd the destined place on earth, 
Which to the first of all our race gave birth. 
Now innocence spread for her blooming hand, 
And all obey'd the sovereign dread command : 
The tree which knowledge bore, none dar'd to taste, 
Till sin the happy pair had much disgrac'd. 



t24 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or. 

Now chang'd the scene, pale discord stalk'd amain, 
Rebelling aDgels soon began their reign. 
The tree of life was yei as much expos 'd, 
T^e flanaing sword then plac'd, the tree enclosed : 
Foreboding gloom appear'd on every hand, 
Fair Eden ceas'd to bloom at God's command. 
The thorn appear'd, the rose began to fade, 
Death stalk'd around, in awful pomp array M : 
EiiFd the human pair, while discord spread — 
On frosty wings the bold deceiver fled — 
Christ was promis'd, to bruise the serpent's head ; 
And thus mankind to glory may be led. 



HYMN XVIIL 

The deluge ; or the vi'orld destroyed by the Jlood, 

The dreadful moment now began, 
The clouds then soon grew black with rain. 
The gathering storm ecilps'd the sun, 
And soon the sweeping flood begun. 
One year the clouds spread o'er the plain, 
The bursting torrents flow'd amain ! 
Millions of souls were swept away. 
No more than eight surviv'd to say, 
' Within an ark of gopher wood, 
We sail'd secure above the flood.' 
Full sixteen hundred years had gone, 
Since earth produc'd the rose or thorn, 
Or man was made, or sin did reign 
With sickness, discord, death and pain. 
Now sin had spread its empire wide, 
And human hearts were fiU'd with pride, 
All thoughts were bent on evil ways. 
And none were heard to speak God's praise 
On all the^ earth, save riglneous Noah, 
With his smnll host of seven more. 
The flood did cease, the ark did rest, 
And Noah and his sons were bless'd. 
The earth again is peopFd o'er, — 
Descendants from this right'ous Noah. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 126 



CHAPTER XX. 

The Public Declaration of the Marriage Covenant lawfully 
solemnized, declared^ published and made known, 

1. The Bridegroom and Bride arise before witnesses, 
at the time and place publicly appointed, join their right 
hands in the usual form of shaking hands in friendship, in 
the presence of the witnesses, and then the Bridegroom 
first says ; — 

2. * I desire you to be my witnesses, that I, 

, this day of 

4. D. , take, declare, 

publish, and make known that this 

whom I hold by the right hand, to be 
my lawful, wedded wife : And may we twain, eyer be one, 
in friendship and love ; and I sincerely hope, that we may, 
ever conduct in that way towards each other, in all circum- 
stances, changes, fortunes and vicissitudes of life, in sick- 
ness and health, in poverty or wealth, in prosperity and 
adversity, in blessings and afflictions, as true, loving, kind, 
affectionate, virtuous husband and wife ought, — until God 
in his providence shall separate us by death : And be it 
remembered, that those whom God has joined together in 
the Marriage Covenant, ought not, by any person, to be 
put asunder.' 

3. Then the Bride says ; — 

4. * I desire you to be my witnesses, that I 

, this day of 

A. D. , take, declare, 

publish, and make known that this 

, whom 1 hold by the right hand, to be 
my lawful, wedded husband : And may we twain, ever be 
one, in friendship and love ; and I sincerely hope, that we 
may ever conduct in that way towards each other, in all cir- 
cumstances, changes, fortunes, and vicissitudes of Jife, in 
sickness and health, in poverty or wealth, k) prosperity and 
adversity, in blessings and afflictions, as true, loving, kind, 
affectionate, virtuous wife and husband ought, — until God 
in his providence shall separate us by death : And be it 
remembered, that those whom God has joined together in 

11* 



126 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, ©r, 

nant, ought not, bj 

Witnesses present. 



the Marriage Covenant, ought not, by any person to be 
put asunder.' 



It is recorded in the scriptures, thus ; ^' From the be- 
ginning of the creation, God made them male and female. 
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and 
cleave to his wife ; and they twain shall be one." '• There- 
fore they are no more twain but one :" One in heart, one 
in love, one in pure affections, one in every amiable, virtu- 
ous, social principle, or ought so to be. 

N. B. The declaration of marriage, after being filled out 
as the case may be, together with the names of at least twe 
or three of the witnesses present, '* That in the mouth of 
two or three witnesses every word may be established," 
ought to be recorded in the town, village, city, county, or 
some public clerk's record, where the declaration of the 
marriage was publicl}^ solemnized, declared, took place, or 
made known, if there be such a record kept in the town, 
village, city, or country where the ceremony of marriage 
was performed. 

JVote. The foregoing declaration of the marriage co- 
venant between any two, may be abridged, and the Bride- 
groom, in presence of witnesses, and their right hands 
being joined as before, may only say ; — 

« We, and 

, solemnly publish and declare, that 
^e are lawful husband and wife :' 

And then the Bride may only say ; — 

« So let it be.' 

Dated at this .day of 

A. D. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 1 2T 

Or thus ; 

In presence of vvitnesses, their hands being joined as be- 
fore, the Bridegroom may first saj ; — 

* Be it remembered, that I take and declare 

, whom 1 hold by the right hand, to 
be my lawful, wedded wife :' 

And then the Bride may say ; — 

' Be it remembered, that I take and declare 

, whom I hold by the right hand, 
to be my lawful, wedded husband.' 

Dated at this day of 

A. D. 

^^ The preceding modes of marrying, is not only ve- 
ry ancient, and founded on the principles of reason, scrip- 
ture, and the universal law of nature's God, but will save 
the marriage /ees to the married couple themselves, instead 
of its being given to perhaps some wealthy or avaricious 
Priest or Magistrate. 

Were we to look into the garden of Eden, and enquire, 
Who married Adam and Eve, our first parents ? Surely the 
answer will not be that they were married by any man. 
Therefore what GOD has joined together let no man put 
asunder. And again it is said, "Let them marry." It 
does not say let them be married by any person. God 
must join them together in heart, or else, perhaps, they 
will not live together in peace, friendship and love. 

Man has multiplied, according to the commandment, yet 
he has sought out many inventions, and become wicked, 
therefore we do not say it would be wrong, if the Bride- 
groom and Bride choose it, for a third person to make the 
declaration ofmarriige between any couple that have a 
right, and are properly qualified to marry. 

We shall now record the most ancient declaration of 
marriage that was ever known m the human family, to- 
gether vvith this couple s first becoming acquainted with 
each other. It is as follows, viz. *' And the rib, which 
the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and 
brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now 
bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh [or my wife] : She 
shall be called Woman ; because she was taken out of man. 
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and 
shall cleave unto his wife ; and they shall be one flesh. 
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were 
not ashamed.'* Gen. ii. 22 — 25. 



12% Beauties »/ Primitive Christianity, or, 

(j;^ Those who are not free, both by age and oth- 
wise, ought, by all means, before they enter into the Mar- 
riage Covenant, to obtain the consent of their parents, 
guardians, or those who, by law, are placed over them. — 
And it is right and even ought to be the case, if possible 
#r any ways consistent, with existing circumstances, for 
every one to obtain their parents' consent to their mar- 
riage, even if they are free in every respect. 

CLERK'S CERTIFICATE. 

Clerk's Office. 
Be it known, 

To all whom it may concern, that on the day 

•f A. D. I received the 

public declaration of marriage between 

and , 

and hare recorded the same in the re- 

cord book. No. page . Given under 

ny hand, at this 

day of ^ . A. D. 

Attest 

Clerk of 

The Marriage Covenant lawfully declared and solemn- 
iztd by a third person. 

If the Marriage Covenant be solemnized, declared, and 
publicly made known by a third person, duly authorised 
and qualified according to the law of the land where the 
parties live, reside, or are, then the third person, author- 
ised as above, may say to those who are about to be pub- 
licly married, or solemnized in the marriage covenant, 
their right hands being joined as before, thus — 

* You take 

whom you hold by the right 
hand, to be your lawful wedded wife : Sincerely resolving, 
and solemnly determining to be unto her a true, faithful, 
loving, virtuous husband, in all circumstances of life 
you may be called to pass through, until you shall be se- 
parated by death : And, you 

take 
whom you hold by the right hand, to be your lawful wed- 
ded husband : Sincerely resolving, and solemnly deter- 
mining to be unto him a true, faithful, loving, virtuous wife, 



The Auxiliary and ^upplementetry (kiide, 129 

in all circumstances of life you maybe called to pass through, 
until you shall be separated by death.' The Bridegroom 
and Bride may then give their consent, by saying * yes.' 
The third person may then say, I, therefore, according to 
the laws of this land, pronounce you lawful husband and 
wife.' 

CHAPTER XXL 

Tht Public Declaration of the Ordination of Apostles, 
Bishops, Christian Ministers, Teachers, Preachers, ^c. 

The Apostle, Bishop, Christian Minister, Teacher, or 
Preacher, rises, at the time and place publicly appointed, 
and then and there publicly declares unto the congrega- 
tion, audience, or assembly present, saying ; — 

*• I desire you to be 

my witnesses, that I this day of 

A. D. , publicly declare, publish, and make known 

unto you, and unto the world, that I verily believe that 
God has called, appointed, commissioned, and ordained 
me to publicly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to man- 
kind ; and, to publicly and lawfully, perform the duties of 
a public minister, teacher and preacher of the Christian 
Religion, and to be an apostle of Jesus Christ : And that I 
earnestly and sincerely pray to Almighty God, in whom I 
put my trust, and that 1 may ever prove faithf d unto him, 
who has called, appointed, commissioned and ordained me 
to this office and calling ; and that I may for ever obey God 
and his commandments, rather than men and their com- 
mandments, yet may 1 never transgress the civil laws of the 
country, where God in hi'-? providence may cast my lot, 
but be a good and peaceable citizen thereof, living in peace 
with all people, as far as is possible : And, furthermore^ 
that 1 may ever at all times, and in all places, earnestly, 
constantly, and diligently strive to worship God in spirit 
and in truth, and in the beauty of holiness, and continually 
do that which I really and conscientiously believe will be 



130 Bemzties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

most to the universal and final happiness of mankind, aiad 
to the greatest glory of God. Amen.' 
Witnesses present. 



Gospel Ordinations may be publicly solemnized and made 
known^ by men duly appointed by the church The men so 
appointed by the church, are calhd '' the Presbytery ;'^ and 
their laying on of their hands, is called, '' The laying on of 
the hands of the Presbytery.''^ 

1. Four men, being duly appointed by the church, lo- 
cated in any place, standing m a quadrangular form, i. e. 
one east, one west, one north, and one south, or nearly so, 
round, the one about to be publicly made known as a 
Preacher, public Teacher, Minister, &c. of the gospel, he 
kneeling, and the four men putting their right hands on his 
head, solemnly publishing and declaring, the first, saying, 
' And God said. Let there be light and there was light. — 
Jesus Christ the Son of God, in his last farewell charge to 
his apostles said. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost ; Teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am 
with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Let 
your light so shine before men, that they may see your 
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 
Amen.' 

2. Then the next says, • Worship God in the beauty of 
holiness, lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and 
honesty, — adorning your character with a well ordered 
life and good conversation, be rich in all good works, con- 



The Auxiliary ani Supplementary Guide. 131 

stantly occupying upon, and improving the talent or talents 
that the Lord thy God hath given thee. Amen.* 

3. Then the third says, * Preach the gospel in its puri- 
ty ; rightly dividing the word of truth, and giving each a 
portion in due season, and perform all the duties of a Chris- 
tian Minister ; search the scriptures diligently and strive 
to understand them correctly, and above all things, put on 
charity, for now abideth faith, hope, charity, — these three, 
but the greatest of these is charity. Love the Lord thy 
God with all thy heart, love thy neighbour as thyself. — ^ 
love all mankind, both friends and enemies. Cultivate in 
your breast, and practice in your life, every amiable, so- 
cial, virtuous, christian principle, and do good to all, as far 
as you can, any ways consistently. Amen.' 

4. Then, all taking their hands oflf of his head, and the 
fourth takes him by the right hand, giving him the right 
hand of fellowship, saying, ' Arise, brother,' (he rises from 
his humble poskion,) ' We now greet thee as a brother 
and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ : Be faithful in 
the ministry which thou has received of the Lord, be faith- 
ful in all things, sincerely, earnestly, and constantly en- 
deavouring to conduct in that way which you shall really 
and conscientiously believe, will contribute most to the 
happiness of mankind— thy fellow mortals, and at the same 
time, be most to the glory of God, — all which continue to 
do, until God, in his providence shall call thee home, to 
be with him in his paradise above for ever,~there to re- 
ceive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away, at God's right 
hand — eternal in the heavens. Amen.' 

Note. We do not restrict the number of men, in per- 
forming the preceding ceremony, to four^ for it may be 
performed by half the number. 

|C7* The foregoing, after being filled out, with the 
man's name ordained, and the time and place, when and 
where publicly declared, or took place, as the case may 
be, with the names of at least two or three of the witnesses 
present, (''that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, 
every word may be established,'") may be recorded in the 
town, city, village, county, or some public Clerk's record, 
where the declaration of the ordination was publicly de- 
clared, took place, or made known, if there be such a re- 
cord kept in the town, village, city, or country, where thiis 
ceremony was performed. 



132 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ ©r, 

CLERK'S CERTIFICATE. 

Clerk's Office. 
Be it remembered. 

That on the day of 

A. D. , I received the public declaration of the 

Ordination of Friend , 

and have recorded the same in the re- 

cord ; Book. No. , page . Given under 

jf\j hand, at this 

^y of A. D. 

Attest^ 

Clerk of 

Letter of Commendation to a Minister y Teacher^ «r Preach- 
er of the Gospel. 

Be it remembered, 

That we, the subscribers, members of the Church 
of God, or the apostles and elders, and brethren, together 
with the Church of God, in 

do verily believe that God has called, appoint- 
ed, commissioned, and ordained our worthy Brother 

to preach the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ to mankind : If we may judge, as it is said, 
'' By their fruits ye shall know them.'^ 

We do, therefore, recommend him as a moral, pious 
man, of good behaviour and of good report, a worthy friend, 
and a faithful teacher and preacher of the Christian Reli- 
gion, and a well qualified minister of the Gospel. And ^ 
as such, we do recom aend him to the particular care and 
attention of Christ's Friends, wherever God in his Divine 
Providence may direct him, or cast his lot. Given under 
our hands, at this 

day of • A. D. 

Attest, ^ 



L 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 1 33 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Duties of Apostles, Bishops, Christian Ministers^ 4'C, 

1. Men, performing the same duties, are supposed to be 
in the same office; though they may be called by, or 
bear diflferent titles : Therefore, by the duties they per- 
form, we are to judge concerning their office. 

2. A Preacher may be called a religious Teacher ; for 
the meaning is one and the same thing. Hence, it will ap- 
pear, that in the following titles, they, and some others are 
not to be supposed to be so many different offices ; for se- 
veral of them we find perform the same duties, therefore, 
we shall consider them as n:eaning the same thing in seve- 
ral instances, though expressed by different names. 

3. It is by inherent qualities, things are known ; so by 
the duties men perform, their professions may be classed ; 
hence several of the following titles will, with propriety, 
be considered as belonging to one and the same class, profes-* 
sion or calling ; yet, we shall arrange them separately, as 
we find them in the scriptures, — for, on the Scriptures, we 
shall rely for our information. 

4. Apostles, " These twelve Jesus sent forth, and com- 
manded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, 
and into any city of the Samaiitans, enter ye not. But go 
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye 
gOj preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." 
Matt. X. 5 — 7. "- Whereunto, I [Paul] am ordained a 
preacher, and an apostle,'' '* a teacher of the Gentiles, in 
faith and verity." 1 Tim. ii. 7. " And when it was day, 
Christ called unto him his disciples : and of them he chose 
twelve, whom also he named Apostles." Luke vi. 13. — 
" And he gave some, apostles : and some, prophets ; and 
some, evangelists ; arnd some, pastors and teachers. For 
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, 
forthe edifying of the body of Christ." Eph. iv. 11, 12, 
" For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail : for 
labouring night and day, because we would not be charge- 
able unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of 
God." 1 Thess. ii. 9. *' Now then we are embassadors 
for Christ ; as though God did beseech you by us, we pray 
you in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 
V. 20, 

19 



134 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

5. Bishop. *• This is a true saying, If a man desire the 
office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then 
must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigil&nt, so- 
ber ; of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach." 

1 Tim. iii. 1 , 2. «* Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, 
and to all the flock, over the which, the Holy Ghost hast 
made you overseers, to feed the church of God.'^ Acts 
XX. 28. " For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward 
of God ; not self- willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, 
no striker, not given to filthy l?:cre ; but a lover of hospi- 
tality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate : 
Holding fast the feithful word, as he hath been taught, that 
he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and 
to convince the gainsayers." Titus i. 7 — 9. 

6. Christian Ministers, ''Let a man so account of us, 
as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the myste- 
ries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a 
man be found fdthful." 1 Cor. iv. 1,2. " And he said, I 
am Jesus whom thou persecntest. But rise, and stand 
upon thy feet : for 1 have appeared unto thee for this pur- 
pose, to make thee a minister, and a witness both of these 
things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the 
which, I will appear unto thee ; Delivering thee from the 
people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send 
thee ; to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness 
to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ; that they 
may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among 
them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me." Acts 
xxvi. 15 — 18. " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves 
to think any thing, as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is 
of God ; who also hath made us able ministers of the New 
Testament ; not of the letter, but of the spirit : for the 
letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." *' Seing then that 
we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech." 

2 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 12. " But the end of all things is at hand : 
be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And 
above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves : 
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospi- 
tality one to another, without grudging. As every man 
hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to 
another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ; if 
any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God 
giveth : that God in all things may be glorified through 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 133 

Jesus Christ ; to whom be praise and dominion for ever 
and ever. Amen." 1 Pet. iv. 7 — 11. 

7. Christian Teacher or Preacher. " Thou, therefore, 
A'hich teachest another, teachest thou not thyself.^ thou 
that preachest, A man should not steal, dost thou steal ? — 
Thou that sayest, a man should not commit adultery, dost 
thou commit adultery ? Thou t.sat abhorrest idols, dost thou 
commit sacrilege ?" Romans ii. 21, 22, " Whereunto I 
am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of 
the Gentiles." 2 Tim. i. 1 1. " How shall they hear with- 
out a preacher ? And how shall they preach except they 
be sent ?" except God sends them ? as it is written, " How 
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of 
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things !" Romans x. 
14, 15. " For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus 
the Lord ; and ourselve>i, your servants, for Jesus' sake. 
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of dark- 
ness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.'* 
2 Cor. iv. 5, 6. *' Preach the word ; be instant in sea- 
son, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long- 
suffering and doctrine.'' 2 Tim. iv. 2. 

8. Elders. Elder in the New Testament, is a general 
name, comprehending under it, all such as have any ec- 
clesiastical function, as apostles, pastors, teachers, or other 
church officers. The apostle Peter, calls himself an el- 
der. 1 Peter V. 1. "And from Miletus, Paul sent to 
Ephesus, and called the ekiers of the church. And when 
they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from 
the first day that 1 came into Asia, after what manner I 
have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with 
all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, 
which befel me by the lying m wait of the Jews : And how 
1 kept back nothing that was profitable unto you ; but have 
shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from 
house to house, testifying both to Jews, and al^o to the 
Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our 
Lord Jesus Christ." Acts xx. 17 — 21. 

9. *' I have not shunned to declare unto you all the coun- 
sel of God." " : have coveted no man's silver, or gold, 
or apparel." " These hands have ministered unto my 
necessities, and to them that were with me." '^ 1 have 
shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to 
support the weak ; and remember the words of the Lord 



136 T'he Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

Jesus, how be said, It is more blessed to give than to re- 
ceive.'' " Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so 
that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry 
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gos- 
pel of the grace of God." 

10. " The elders which are among yo», I [Peter] exhort, 
who am also an elder." "• Feed the flock of God which is 
among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, 
but willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." 
'' Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being 
ensamples to the flock." 

11. '^ If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these 
things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nour- 
ished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine." — 
" Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in 
the Lord, that thou fulfil it." " Bless ye the Lord, all ye 
his hosts ; ye ministers of his, that do hi^^ pleasure.'* 

12. " Strive not about words to no profit.' " Study to 
shew thyself approved ynto God, a workman that needeth 
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth," and 
" giving to each a portion in due season " " Follow 
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that Cc 11 on 
the Lord out of a pure heart " '' The servant of the 
Lord'' must be " gentle unto ail men, apt to teach, patient, 
in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves ; if 
God peradventure wiU give them repentance to the ac- 
knowledging of the truth " 

13. '* If any man te;jch otherwise, and consent not to 
wholesome words, even the Hord& of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the doctrine which is according to godliness ; he is 
proud, knowing nothing," as he ought, '' but doling about 
questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, 
strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men 
of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth.' 

14. " Cry aloud, spare not lift up thy voice Hke a trum- ;• 
pet, and shew my people their transgressions." " Thou 
shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, 
or whether they will forbear." 

15. '' Be thou an example of the believers in word, in 
conversation, in charit}?, in spirit, in faith, in purity." — i, 
^' Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.'^ 
«« Meditate upon these things : give thyselfwholly tothem ; 
that thy profiting may appear to all." " Watch thou in 
all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 137 

make full proof of thy ministry :" '' that the man of God 
Haaybe perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good \yorks,*^ 
16. ** Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine ; 
that the aged men be ?r.ber gr ^ve, temperate, sound in 
faith, in charity, in patience ; the aged women likewise, 
that they be in behaviour as becometb holiness,' " teach- 
ers of good things ;" '' that they may reach the young wo- 
men to be sober, to love their hi^§!>ands. to love their chil- 
dren, to be discreet, chaste, lieepf^rs at home, good, obe- 
dient to their own husbands., that he word of God be not 
blasphemed. Young men lik«^wi.^e exhort to be sober 
minded. In all things shewing ti; v^-'f ^» pattern of good 
works : in doctrine shewing uncoiruf mess, gravity, sin- 
cerity, sound speech that cannot l>i^ condemned :'* <« that 
they may adorn the doctrine of God « nr Saviour in all 
things." 

17. ''As we were allowed of God tc be put in trust 
with the gospel, even so we speak ; not as j le ^sing of men, 
but God, who trieth our he^irts.'- '' My speech and my 
preaching was not with enticing wordn of fi.en's wisdom, 
but in demonstration of the Spirit and o: power : that yonr 
faith should not stand in the wisdom o/ nmeri, but in the 
power of God.'' 

18. •' Be not carried about with divers and strange doc- 
trines." "' For it is a good thing thai the heart be esta- 
blished with grace." '* In vain do they worship God, 
leaching for doctrines the commandm.ents cf men : ' — 
*' vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudi- 
ments of the world, and not after Christ."' 

1-9. But '* follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, 
love, patience, meekness." " Fight the good light of fiith, 
Idy hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, 
and hast professed a good profession before many wit- 
nesses.'* 

20. Romans xii. chapter. " 1 beleech \ou therefore, 
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye preseni your bo- 
flies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unic God, which is 
your reasonable service. And be not confornaed to this 
world : but be ye transformed by the . renewing of your 
»ind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, 
and perfect will of God 

21. " For I say, through the gr-ce given unto me, to 
•very man that is among you not to think of himself more 
kighly than he ought to tliink ; but to thi.;k foberly, ac- 

12^^ 



138 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, er, 

cording as God hath dealt to every man the measure of 
faith. For as we hare many members in one body, and 
all members have not the same office ; so we, being many, 
are one body in Christ, and every one members one of 
another. 

22. *« Having then gifts differing according to the grace 
that is given t© us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy ac» 
cording to the proportion of faith ; or ministry, let us wait 
on our ministering ; or he that teacheth, on teaching ; or 
he that exhorteth, on exhortation : he that giveth, let him 
do it w^ith simplicity ; he that ruleth, with diligence ; he 
that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

23. " Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that 
which is evil ; cleave t© that which is good. Be kindly 
affectioned one to another frith brotherly love ; in honour 
prefering one another ; not slothful in business ; fervent 
in spirit ; serving the Lord ; rejoicing in hope ; patient 
in triLalation ; continuing instant in prayer ; distributing 
to the necessity of saints ; given to hospitality. 

24. " Bless them which persecute you : bless, and 
curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep 
with them thet weep. Be of the same mi»d one toward 
another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of i 
low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recom- 
pense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in 
the sight of all men. As much as lieth in you, live peace- 
ably with all men. 

25. '* Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves ; but ra 
ther give place unto wrath : for it is written, Vengeance 
is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine 
enemy hunger, feed him ; If he thirst, give him drink ; for i 
in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be I 
not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." 

26. '' The labourer is worthy of his reward." «* Aw 
when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive - 
crown of glory that fadeth not away." 



The Auxiliary and Supplemmita'ry Guide. 1 3^ 
CHAPTER XXIII. 

Scripture Proofs concerning God^s and Christ's calling 
avtoSl commissioning, ordavdng, and send^ng Apostles 
Em?>''-*«'=''«^*' Jlfmwter,. &rc. to preach the Gos- 

pel) <^<=- .,.!., 

1 flna callinff them, preparing them in their hearts, 
Livint them their commission, and by his Spirit guid- 

and giving tnem uieii of righteousness and true 

ing and leadmg them '" ^he jay ot r g 

holiness ; instructing ^^"^ J^^^^^^^^lat lacketh wisdom let 
and what t^-y.' ^^hi a veth 'liber lly and upbraideth not, 
him ask of God ^'»'',%'^^'"„j.pa^h the Gospel in its puri- 
they will then be q^^f ^^•^/JJ^'^^e gpirit of God they are 
ty. . For as many ^--l-^-^^^^^^^Llified, authorized, 
the sons of God. ^ « ^J ^ ^i ^^ t„ forth to 
rreartrrs;titClna in a^l ifs primitive beauty 

-t^^[|.corded in the scripture, .< P^^ an apostle of 

T' rSt' by the eel ndment of God." '' Paul an 
a^oSe nofk men:neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, 

""t ^"VuU^cerUfy ]on, brethren, that the Gospel whick 

^' u ATr.1 is not after man. For I neither re- 

SdToVit neitherta: 1 taught it. but by the reve- 

't^luXs'^^sTsai'd, .. I come in my Father's name.;' 
fAt'the scriptures testify saying, " T^ou art my Son thi 
Aar have I begotten thee," and agam, •' I will be to h.m a 
Father and he shall be to me a Son.") " How can ye be- 
lieve " says Jesus, " which receive honour one of another, 
and' eek lot the honour that cometh from God only - 
For Christ has given hi^ apostles preachers, and teache^ 
fheir commission in these words-" Go ye into al the 
worid and preach the Gospel to every creature. "Go 
ve heiefore, and teach all nations, bapt.zing theni .„ the 
^ l\;f thP Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; 
Sing themt"b;:rve all things whatsoever I ha.e com- 
Tf^nT- and lo I am with you alway, even unto the 
Tdlthe world Amen.'' Christ then ascended unto his 
Father and our Father, and to his God, and our God, as 
he said "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend 



I4D Beames of Primitive Christianity, or, 

unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your 

5. And, said Paul, " When it pleased God," who " call- 
ed me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might 
preach him among the heathen ; immediately I conferred 
not with flesh and Wood : Neither went I up to Jerusalem 
to them which were apostles before me ; but I went info 
Arabia, and returned again into Damascus. Then after 
three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and 
abode with him fafteen days. But other of the apostles saw 
I none, save James the Lord's brother." 

6. « Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and 
Cilicia; and was unknown by ftce unto the churches of 
Judea which were in Christ. But they had heard only, 
That he which persecuted us m times past, now preacheth 
God '' ''"*'^ • ^^^^'''^^'''- ^""^ they glorified 

7. Christ has also said, " The harvest truly is great 
but the labourers are few: pray ye, therefore, the Lord 
of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his 
harvest. Go your ways : behold, / send you forth as 
lambs among wolves," or as lambs among '< wolves in 
sheep s clothing " 

8. « And he [Christ] ordained twelve, that they should 
be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach " 

9 •' Wherefore^ 1 am ordained a preacher and an apos- 
tle, "a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity." And 
if need so require, a preacher of the Jews also. 

10. " VVhereuDto 1 am appointed a preacher, and an 
apostle, and a teacher" to teach and preach the Christian 
religion to mankind. 

11." Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which 
preach the gospel should live of the gospel." And Christ 
has said, " He that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and he 
that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." 

12. « Let me not, I pray you,' " give flattering titles 
unto men." For it is written, " They love greetings in 
the markets, and to be called of men. Rabbi, Rabbi; but 
be not ye called Rabbi : for one is your Master, even 
Christ ; and all ye are brethren." " They loved the praise 
of men more than the praise of God." " He that glorieth 
let him glory in the Lord." " Set your afl-ections on things 
above, not on things on the earth." 

13. A parable of a General in an army. There was a 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 141 

general in an arnny who had received his commission from 
the King. But says the general, My commission is good 
for nothing unless 1 also get a commission from my fellow 
officers. So he went and obtained a commission from a 
fellow officer or officers. But when the King heard of it, 
he said unto him, If thou thinkest that my commission is 
not sufficient for thee, thou shalt not have it. So he took 
away his commission, and turned him into the ranks again, 
with the common soldiers But, added the King, It would 
have been very proper for thee to have received a recom- 
mendation from thy fellow soldiers and officers that thou 
dischargest the duties of an officer with much applause. 

14. "• The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a 
flame of fire out of the midst of a bush : and he looked, 
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was 
not consumed," 

15. *' And Moses said, I will turn aside and see this great 
^ight, why the bu?h is not burnt." 

16. *' And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to 
see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and 
said, Moses, Moses ! And he said. Here am l.*** 

17. " And he said. Draw not nigh hither : put off thy 
shoes from off thy feet ; for the place whereon thou stand- 
est is holy ground. '' " Moreover, he s.ud, 1 am the God 
of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and 
the God of Jacob." 

18. " Come, now, therefore, and I will send thee unto 
Pharaoh, that thou may est bring forth my people, the chil- 
dren of Lrael, out of Ei>;ypt." 

19. *' And he said, Gert linly I wmH be with thee : and 
this shall be a token unto thee th it / have sent thee ; when 
thou h .st brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall 
serve God upon this mountain.'' 

20. *' And Moses said," *' Behold, when I come unto 
the children of Israel, and shall «ay unto them, The God 
of our fathers hath sent me unto you ; and they shall say 
to me, What is his name ? whrit shall 1 say unto them V 

21. '* And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : 
and he said. Thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, 1 
AM hath sent me unto you." 

22. " And God said, moreover, unto Moses, Thus shalt 
thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of 
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and 
the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you." 



142 Beauties of Primitive Christianitij, or^ 



23. Finally, may the love of God be shed abroad in your 
hearts. May divine grace, joy, peace, and love be with 
you for ever, 
peace, good 



ly divine grace, joy, peace, and love be with 
\ '' Glory to God in the highest, and onearth|.jj 
will towards men.*' Amen. rl 



HYMN XIX. 

CHRIST'S NATIVITY. 

1. While shepherds watch'd their locks bj night 

All seated on the ground, 
The angel of the Lord came down, 
And glory shone around. 

2. ** Fear not.'* said he, for mighty dread 

Had seiz'd their troubled minds ; 
•' Glad tidings of great joy 1 bring 
To you and all mankind." 

3. To you. in David's town, this day 

Is born of David's line. 
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord ; 
And this ?^hall be the sign : 

4. The heavenly babe you there shall find, 

To human view displayed, 
All meanly wrap d in swathing bands, 
And in a manger laid." 

5. Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith 

Appear'd a shining throng 
Of angels, praising God, who thus 
Addressed their joyful song. 

6. '• All glory be to God on high, 

And to the earth great peace ; 
Good-will, hencetbrth, from heav'n to men 
Begin, and never cease.'' 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Chiide. 143 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Explanatory and Useful Remarks, 

1. We earnestly recommend to mankind in general, to 
make the Scriptures their rule, and to exclude from their 
faith and practice, every thing that will not bear the test of 
that Standard of Truth. 

2. We recommend to them, to put away all rash and 
party zeal, in the concerns of religion ; and to be clothed 
with a humble, meek, and quiet spirit, which is in the 
sight of God, of great price. Speak evil of no man. But 
endeavour in meekness, to instruct each other, and parti- 
cularly those that are thought to be out of the right way, 
and strive to bring them, if possible, into that straight and 
narrow way, which leadeth to immortal glory 

3. We recommend a cultivation of peace and harmony, 
among all men. We would earnestly recommend practi- 
cal piety and godliness, in all its branches, as it respects 
duty to God, duty to ourselves, and duty to mankind in ge- 
neral. For practical piety, is the final, last and best evi- 
dence which can be given, of any one's belonging to the 
church of God. '* By their fruits ye shall know them.^' — 
We would also recommend every one to be clothed in the 
mantle of Charity, wrapped in the garment of humility, 
and adorned round about with the vestments of Peace, 
Friendship and Love. 

4. Should it be asked. Of what denomination of Chris- 
tians these people are of? The answer will be. That they 
profess to be Friends, — a name that Jesus Christ himself, 
in a particular manner, named or gave to his disciples. — 
John XV. 15. In fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah, chap. 
Ixii. 2. which reads thus, "The Gentiles shall see thy right- 
eousness, and all kings thy glory ; and thou shalt be call- 
ed by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall 
name." Isaiah has also prophesied again, saying, "The 
Lord shall call his servants by another name.'^^ This name 
doubtless alludes to, the name Christ^s disciples first re- 
ceived in Antioch, as it is recorded, " The disciples were 
called Christians first in Antioch. Also has the Church of 
God received an additional or another name, which is 
Christ'^s Church of God, or the Cliristian Church of God, 
or God's Christian Church. As Christ has said, " Upon 



144 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

tkis rock I will build My Church ; and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it.'' The Church of God was 
more than five thousand years ago, established among 
God's ancient people the Jews. And it did not receive the 
additional name, for more than four thousand years after 
the creation of the world : Yet, this additional name Chris- 
tian^ has been used more than one thousand sevea hundred 
years. Even to this day, it is called the Christian church. 
Hence we content ourselves with the name, Friends or 
Christians^ mere friends or Christians ; not in the least de- 
siriftg to be called or known by any other name. The re- 
ligion we profess, is that religion which we believe was 
sent down from heaven, and communicated to mankind by 
Jesus Christ, the light of the world, which lighteth every 
man that cometh into the world, the Beloved Son of God ; 
that religion, which God himself is the primary Author of. 
The Bible ! the Bible ! I the Scriptures ! ! ! describe our 
religion ; and if we are Dissenters ^ we dissent only from 
such modes and forms of religion, which we cannot find in 
the Bible, the Scriptures ; and which therefore we con- 
clude, have nothing to do with the religion which was com- 
municated from God to man by the true Messiah. 

5. Should it be asked, From what denomination or 
church are they dissenters? the answer will be, from 
none. They only wish, try, and aim to keep on the grounds 
of Primitive Christianity. Their sincere desire being, 
that they might follow the scriptures, as nearly as may be, 
in all things. They consider party names, except what 
the scriptures hold forth, as useless or unnecessary, and 
have a direct tendency to hatred, strife and contention, or 
at least are rather calculated to divide^ instead of uniting 
the people in matters of religion. Yet, however, they do 
not mean to censure or condemn any denomination of 
Christians ; for they believe, that people may differ in 
opinion, and perhaps in faith, or belief and practice, and 
yet be friends. 

6. Christ has said, *' Herein is my Father glorified, that 
ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples.'' " Ye 
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained 
you, that ye should go and bring ferth fruit, and that your 
fruit should remain.' 

7. " And the voice spake unto Peter," saying, <* What 
God has cleansed, that call thou not common" or unclean. 
** While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto 



llie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 145 

him. Behold, three men seek thee : Arise, therefore, aad 
get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing : for / 
have sent them,''* 

8. " Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, 
through the will of God, and Sothenes our brother, unto 
the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are 
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that 
in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our 
Lord, both theirs and ours : Grace be unto jou, and peace 
from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." — 
^* For Christ sent me" '* to preach the gospel : not with 
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made 
of none effect." " An*! I, brethren, when I came to you, 
came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declar» 
ing unto you, the testimony of God." '^ And my speech 
and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's 
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.*' 
** That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, 
but in the power of God." " I have planted," by divine 
assistance, *' Apollos watered ; but God gave the increase." 

9. ^* Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one : 
and every man shall receive his own reward, according to 
his own labour." As it is record(fed in the Revelation, — ^ 
** And I," John, " saw the dead, small and great, stand be- 
fore God : and the books were opened : and another book 
was opened, which is the book of hfe : and the dead were 
judged out of those things which were written in the books, 
according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead 
which were in it ; and death and hell delivered up the 
dead which were in them : and they were judged every 
man according to their works." '* And there shall in no 
wise enter into it," the holy city. New Jerusalem, '* any 
thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomina- 
tion, or maketh a lie : but they which are written in the 
Lamb's book of life." Hence justice will be laid to the 
line, and judgment to the plummet, as Christ has said, '* For 
I can, of mine own self, do nothing, as I hear I judge, and 
my judgment is just." 

10. '* Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This is the 
first and great commandment. And the second is like unto 
it. *' Love thy neighbour as thyself" On these two com- 
mandments hang all the law and the prophets. Love your 
enemies, love all mankind ; though you are not command- 

13 



146 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ $r, 

ed to love their faults, follies, and wickedness, but to avoid 
and not to partake of them. 

11. The following observations concerning Baptism, we 
submit to the candid consideration of mankind in general ; 
we do not give them as commands : Yet, we believe them 
not to be contrary to the scriptures, but to coincide with 
the scriptures, viz. 

12. '* They went down into the water," and then the 
solemnity or ordinance of baptism was perf:;rmed, but in 
what manner the scriptures do not explicitly inform us, 
and then they " came up out of the water." 

13. We suppose that the mode of baptism ought to be 
left to the scriptures to determine, as nearly as may be col- 
lected from them. And, perhaps, the following mode 
comes as near to what fair, probable conclusions may be 
drawn from the scriptures as any other mode possible, viz. 

14. The person or persons to be baptized, and the one 
that is to baptize, go together down into the water. And 
when they are in the water, the baptizer then stooping 
down dips up, with his right hand, as much water as he 
can conveniently hold in his hand with the assistance of 
his thumb and fingers ; then raising his hand above the 
person's head who is to be baptized, with as much water 
as can be conveniently held, lets the water fall upon the 
person's head, face, or forehead, or on the face only, then 
letting his hand which had the water in it come gently 
down upon the person's forehead and face, so as to per- 
form the act of washing : While he is doing this he says, 

* 1 baptize thee,' *' in the name of the Father, and of ihe 
Son, aad of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then they come 
up out of the water. The left hand may be lifted up or 
against or on the person's head, or on the shoulder while 
the ceremony of baptizing is performing. 

15. The act or ceremony of washing any one, of itself, 
sufficiently bespeaks these words, viz. ' 1 baptize thee,' 
yet he may say, ' I baptize thee' *' in the name of the Fa- 
ther, and of the Son, and of the Haly Ghost." Amen. — 
Once dipping up the water and putting it on the face, &c. 
may be sufficient ; and then pronounce these words, " I 
baptize thee," &c. 

16. If any should chose to kneel in the water and then 
be baptized, or if any should ctiqse to be baptized by im- 
mersion — by being dipped in the water, we do not believe 
it would be wrong, if any one should choose thus to b<^ 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 147 

baptized : But is not the first mode more safe, and much 
better as it respects decency, as it respects injuring health, 
or taking cold ? It certainly is attended with less incon- 
venience, and is decent and modest, and yet completely 
answers the requisition of the scriptures, so far as we can 
judge. 

17. Baptism may be said to represent the pouring out 
of the Spirit of God into the heart and cleansing or wash- 
ing it from all unrighteousness — bidding a final adieu to ail 
sensual, sinful objects and delights for the more substan- 
tial, subliraer bliss of heavenly joys, henceforth to live to 
the glory of God and the benefit of mankind. See chap, 
xviii. Section iii. verse 6. pages 86 and 87. 

18. If there can be found any commandment in the 
scriptures to baptise infants, then baptise infants. If there 
can be found any commandment in the scriptures for peo- 
ple to be baptized before they repent or believe that Je- 
sus Christ is the Son of God, and believe the gospel, then 
let those be baptized who have not repented, and do not 
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and do not 
beheve the gospel. " They that gladly received his word 
were baptized." 

19. Why may not the baptismal ceremony be perform- 
ed in a house ? Though it is said that Christ was baptized 
in the river Jordan ; but has Christ, or his primitive disci- 
ples or apostles commanded all people to be baptized in 
that same rixer Jordan ? The precise place, and the ex- 
act mode, where or how the baptismal ceremony is to be 
performed, is not particularly described in the scriptures, 
but it is left unexplained, doubtless on account of its non- 
importance, or being non-essential. 

20. We acknowledge that Christ went into the water, 
and the probability is, that that was the custom then. But 
where is the primitive, positive commandment given that 
others ^should go into the water ? We only have it from 
the example of others. Might they not go to the water 
and then be baptized out of the water ? The primitive, 
positive commandment is, " Go and baptize," or wash, 
•' in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost.'- kx\A can we not xoash except we go into a 
river ? But let every one that is to be baptized choose 
the mode, and answer a *' good conscience towards God, 
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 

^1. It is recorded in the scriptures thus, '* One faith, 



148 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

one Lord, and one baptism*'* But does not this baptism here 
spoken of allude to tlat glorious baptism of the Holj Ghostj 
spoken of by John, by Christ, and by his primitive apos- 
tles ? Does it not mean the new birth, regeneration, or 
being born again, as Christ calls it ? Lay aside all preju- 
dice and prepossessions, search the scriptures with c a-e 
and diligence, and then act with candor and impartiality, 
and may the God of heaven unite and bless mankiad uni- 
versally. 

22. It is said by some, that Christ is not the Alpighty 
God. For, say they, the Almig:hty God is not, never was, 
nor never will or can be tempted : Yet, say they, Christ 
was tempted ; therefore Christ is not the Almighty God. 
Mark viii. 1 1 . Luke iv. 2. 

23. They say also, that the Lord God Almighty does 
and ever did possess infinite, perfect wisdom : But that 
Christ increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with 
God and men ; therefore Chris is not the Almighty God. 

24. They say also, that Christ is the Son of God, and 
that no son can be his own father, it being contrary to rea- 
son, scripture, and common sense ; therefore, Christ is 
not the Almighty God. They say that these words, viz. 
My glory I will not give to another, proves that Christ 
could not have the glory of the Almighty Father given 
him by the Almighty Father. 

25. They say again, that God is a Spirit, and that a Spirit 
has not flesh and bones as Christ had ; therefore, Christ is 
not the Almighty God, of the same substance, power and 
glory. 

26. They say again, that it is not to be supposed that 
God ever did hunger or thirst : but that Christ did both : 
therefore, Christ is not the Almighty God."^ 

27. They say also, that it is not to be supposed that 
God ever did undergo pain of body : but that Christ did ; 
therefore, Christ is not the Almighty God. 

28. They say that it is impossible ior God to stand, or 
set at his own right hand : but that Christ is at, standeth 
or setteth on the right hand of God : therefore, Christ is 
not the Almighty God. 

29. They say, that the Everlasting, Eternal God, never 
was born nor was he ever young : But that Christ w^as 
young, and was born in Bethlehem ; therefore, Christ is 
not the Almighty God. 

30. They say, that God Almighty was never circura- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Gidde, 149 

tised : But that Christ was ; therefore, Christ is not the 
Almighty God. 

31. They say, that it proves nothing for to say, These 
circumstances allude to Christ incarnate or in the flesn, for. 
they allow that Christ was filled with the Holy Ghost^ the 
Spirit of God, and cast out devils, and did his miracles by 
the assistance of God, ami received his glory from God. 
They say, this both proves that he was not the Spirit of 
God, nor God himself. For, say they, nothing can be fill- 
ed with one and the same thing with itself, when it is all 
of one and the same substance. They further say that it 
is entirely inconsistent to say one can do a wor!^ by the as- 
sistance of another, when there is but one being of the 
same substance, power and eternity. They say th.it this 
is entirely inconsistent, and a plain contradiction of terms, 
and confounds all rational meaning, and all correct lan- 
guage, and is a complete jargon and cannot possibly be so. 

32. They say, that Christ claimed and owned the rela- 
tion of brotherhood, with those holy saints that did the will 
af his Father : But that God Almighty never did ; and that 
it would be high presumption, if not blasphemy, for any 
person whatever to claim that relnionship with the Al- 
mighty God. They say, that the true worshippe, s of God, 
according to the scriptures, may, with propriety, cl Jm 
this relationship with Christ Christ said himsrlf, " Ye 
are my brethren,^^ Christ called God Almighty his Fi«ther 
and his G^d. So let it be. 

33. They furthermore say, that these words, viz. 
There are three that bear record in heaven, the Frither, 
the Word, and the Holy Ghost ;' and these three are one, 

* do not piove that these three are one and th*^ same sub^ 
stance or person equal in power, glory, and eteinity. For^ 
say they, we are commanded to be une, cts, or in like min- 
ner as Christ and his Father are one ; as it is recorded, 
" that they may be one, even as we are one." 

34. They say, thiit it is not to be supposed that every 
true Christim is one and the same per?*on because they 
are one in heart. For Christians to be one with Christy 
would not prove that they are Christ. A man and his wife 
are said to be one, yet no one would, for a moment, sup- 
pose that a man is a woman^ or that they are botis one and 
the same person or being. For it is not possible for iwo, 
in male and a female, to be one and the same being or per- 
son. Paul planted, Apollos watered, now he that planted 

13* 



150 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ &r, 

and he that watered are one ; yet, Paul was not ApoUos. 
nor was Apollos Paul, but they were two men, two human 
beings distinct from each other. 

35. But say they, this oneness consists in being one in 
principle, one in heart, one in mind, one in performing 
one and the same object, one in profession, one in being 
employed in bringing about one and the same effect, one in 
pursuing one and the same course or employment, one in 
friendship and love, aiming at one and the same thing, in 
short it means no more than co-partners or workers to- 
gether, as it is recorded, " We then, as workers together 
with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of 
God in vain." 

36. Again they say, for any one to be sent, implies or 
requires two beings, at least ; the one to scnd^ and the 
other to be sent. They say also, for one to be anointed by 
another requires two, this one that anoints, and the other 
the one that is anointed. 

37. They say, that these words, viz. In the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
was God, implies that when God spake, his voice or word 
was Creative Power or God. By him were all things 
made that were made, and the Word was made flesh and 
dwelt among us, is no more than to say, God said Let there 
be light : and there was light. God had only to command 
or say the word, and instantly light shone, instantly light 
appeared. God had only to speak the word, and all things 
were made by or at his Omnific command or word. 

38. They say, that these words, viz. He shall be called 
the everlasting Father, means no more than as Abraham 
was called the father of the faithful, so Christ shall be 
called the Father of the futhful for ever ; for of his king- 
dom there shall be no end, so he justly bears the appella- 
tion of everlasting Father. 

39. They say, that Christ, no doubt, existed in the 
mind of the Almighty Father, before he made his appear- 
ance on earth, and God communicated this to the ancient 
prophets. If Christ is, was, or shall be called the niigktij 
God, it does not make him really to be the Almighty God, 
but that he shall be called the mighty Power or Lord, or 
Master, or Ruler, or Lawgiver. 

40. They contend that the word mighty^ is not in the 
superlative or highest degree, but that it is in the positive, 
and that there are two degrees higher. They say that the 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 151 

word mighty has three degrees of comparison ; viz. Posi- 
tive mighty, comparative mightier, superlative MIGHTI- 
EST or ALMIGHTY. Or, positive high^ comparative 
HIGHER, superlative HIGHEST. 

41. They say they do not divinely worship but one Al- 
mighty Being, he, they say, is only worthy of divine, spir- 
itual worship and adoration. They say as it respects Christ, 
they honour or worship him as the Son of God, the true Mes- 
siah, or messenger — anointed and sent into the world to 
communicate the will of God to man, and to open a door of 
free salvation for man. And, they say, if they were to de- 
spise Christ it would be the same as to despise him who 
anointed and sent him. They say, the true worshippers are 
such as worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for God 
seeketh such to worship him. 

42. They say that it was said of a woman in ancient times 
that she worshipped her husband , calling him Lord. They 
say, that where the word worship is applied to Christ, it 
means no more than, to say, honour to whom honour is due, 
,and such honour as properly belongs to the one honoured ; 

but to all, except to the Almighty Being, as subordinate 
beings. To say they worshipped Christ means, they honour- 
§d him, and received him as the Beloved Son of God. The 
glory which Christ had, he received of God, as he has said, 
*' That they may behold my glory, which thou (Father) 
hast given me." 

43. They s^y again, that no two objects or beings, the 
one greater than the other, can possibly be one and the 
same object or being. Therefore Christ cannot be the 
same in substance, power and glory with the Father, for 
Christ tiimself has declared, saying, My Father is greater 
than I ; and again. My Father is greater than ail ; and 
again, The time will come when all enemies'shall be put 
under his feet, and that Christ will be subject to the Father, 
that God may be all in all. 

44. They say that the Jews misunderstood Christ, when 
they thought he made himself God, by what he said. But 
Christ corrects their misconception of what he said, by say- 
ing unto them, Sayest thou that I blaspheme, because 1 said I 
am the Son of God ? Yet he tells them that they were 
called gods unto whom the word of God came, and the 
scriptures cannot be broken. They say that it would be 
giving Christ's own words a plain contradiction to say that 



152 The Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or, „ 

1) 
Christ is, properly speaking, God, for Christ called our 

Hearenly Father, God. John. 7 and 8 Chap. 

45. They say farthermore, that the Almighty, Eternal, 
Everlasting God never did die, nor was he ever put to 
death, by Jews or Gentiles, — the workmanship of his own 
hands. But that Christ was put to death, as it is recorded, 
He tasted death for every man. 

46. They say, that the word Emmanuel or Immanuel^ i. e. 
God with ws, means that he has mighty power among men 
to save them, (this power he received of God) as it is said 
there is no other name given under heaven among men 
whereby we can be saved, i. e. he is the true Messiah. 
To prove this, they say that Christ himself said that he 
could do nothing of himself, but the power he had was 
given him of God. How plain the scriptures talk, yet horr 
blind men are ! 

47. They say also that these words, viz. Who thought 
it not robbery to be equal with God, (in some respects) do 
not prove him to be really the Almighty God, but to the 
reverse. One being or thing, being equal to another, im- 
plies, of course, that there must be two. It would not be 
robbery for Christ to be made equal to God in goodness 
and perfection. Christ himself commanded his disciples 
to be as perfect as their Father which art in heaven is per* 
feet. Matt. V. 48. 

48. They say that it does not prove ihxii \S holy men 
are as, or equal to, the angels of God, that they are j^nge/s. 
They say that Christ himself prayed to God, and called 
him God and Father, which, say they, plainly shows thai 
Christ was not the Almighty God. For, say they, it would 
be inconsistent for any one to pray to, and worship himself, 
glorifying and calling on his own name. ''My God, my 
God,'' said Jesus, " why hast thou forsaken me." '' I 
will" said Christ, *' confess his name before my Father, 
and before his angels." This shows that he was not his 
Father, nor his Father's angels. This scene is to« take 
place not on earth, but in the eternal world, or before the 
throne of God. 

49. They say, that these words alone, viz. I will be un- 
to him a Father, and lie shall be unto me a Son, proves 
beyond a doubt, that Jesus Christ is not the Almighty Fa- 
ther, the Almighty God. It means, 1, [God,] will be un- 
lo him [Christ,] a Father, and he shall be unto me a Son. 
Who can misunderstand so plain language "^ 



The AuxiUary and Supplementary Guide. 153 

50. They si\y, that the holy saints, and the holy angels 
of God, justly gave glory, praise, and honour to Jesus 
Christ, the Lamb of God ; for his having completely per- 
formed his Fatlier's will on earth, brought life and immor- 
tality to light, opened an effectual door of eternal life and 
salvation for all mankind who will believe in God, the Fa- 
ther, and in Jesus Christ, the Soti ; whom God sent into 
the world, to be the great Deliverer, and Spiritual Saviour 
of mankind, and the Mediator between God and men. — 
God is one, and the Mediatpr one distinct from God. — 
Where there is a Mediator there must be three parties ; 
first a Mediator ; secondly the two parties between whom 
he is a Mediator. 

51. They say they do not believe that the Devil ever 
took God Almighty up into the holy city, and sat him on a 
pinacle of the temple ; and said unto him, (God) If thou 
(God) be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is writ- 
ten. He (God) shall give his (God's) angels charge con- 
cerning thee, (God), and in their hands they shall bear 
thee (God) up, lest at any time thou (God) dash thy (God's) 
foot against a stone. But it is recorded in the scriptures, 
that the t9kvi\ said and did so to Christ. They say they 
do not believe that the Devil ever took Almighty God up 
into an exceeding high mountaiii, and shewed hioi all the 
kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them ; and said 
unto him. All these things will 1 give thee, if thou wilt fall 
down and worship me. But it is recorded in Matt. iv. 
Chap, that the Devil said and did so to Jesus. Luke iv. 
5—7. 9 — 1 1. It follows then of course, that Jesus Christ 
is not the Almighty God. 

52. They say, as it respects the strange jumble or mass 
of inconsistencies, as they call it, in the description of a 
Triune, or Three one God, they consider it a plain contra- 
diction of scripture, reason, and common sense. They 
say also, that it completely denies that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God, whereas, every christian oughtto believe and 
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, to the 
glory of God the Father. 

53. They say again, that Christ could not be God Al- 
mighty, because there were some things he did not know ; 
which is plainly proved by his own words, viz. " But of 
that day, and that hour, knoweth no man ; no, not the an- 
gels which are in heaven ; neither the Son, but the Fa- 
ther.'* Mark xiii. 32. Matthew has recorded it thus, 



ie>-. 



1 54 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

'' But of that day and hour, knowetb no man ; no, not the 
angels of heaven, but my Faiher only." Matt. xxiv. 36. 

54. Should it be asked, How Christ ought to be called, 
and how we ought to believe in him ? The answer w^ill 
be, He ought to be called and believed to be the Christ, 
because he is the Anointed of the Father ; he ought to be 
called and believed to be Jesus, because he saves his peo- 
ple from their sins ; — this name was brought by an angel 
of God, and communicated to man by an angel of God ; he 
ought to be catted and believed to be the Son of God, be- 
cause he is the Beloved Son of the Father; and because 
an angel, commissioned from the court of heaven, declared 
that he should be called the Son of God ; and voices from 
heaven declared him to be the Beloved Son of God ; holy 
men and women of old, declared him to be the i^on of God ; 
and even to this day we find many that are not ashamed to 
declare that they believe that Christ is the Son of God. 

55. Therefore they say, that they are contented in be- 
lieving and saying. He is the Son of God, without soing any 
farther, stoping on scripture grounds, and not being will- 
ing to follow any designing set of men, who ^y|^ not con- 
tented with the scriptures, but who delight in deceiving 
mankind, and bring forward as articles of fdth, strange 
doctrines of n en, unfounded in reason, unfounded in the 
scriptures, and unfounded in truth. 

56. Philip, say they, baptised the Ennuch on his con- 
fessing and giving an evidence that he believed that Jesus 
Christ was the Son of God. See Acts viii. 2b — 40. Luke 
i. 31 — 35. Matt i. 21. These are a few, among the 
many passages of scripture, which plainly prove that Je- 
sus Christ is, and ought to be called and believed to be 
the Son of God. 

57. They say again, that Christ was a man, as is easily 
proved by the scriptures, viz. '' The man Christ Jesus." 
'' A man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief." Was God 
Almighty ever a man of sorrow and acquainted w^ith grief? 
Would not this be next to blasphemy, to assert that he was ? 
Christ called himself a man, saving, " A man who hath told 
you the truth." Therefore, say they, he could not have 
been really the Almighty God. 

58. They say, that they do not pray to Christ as their 
heavenly Father. But the}' pray to the Father through 
Christ, as the Mediator between God and man, that Christ 
would intercede with the Father for them, or on their be- 



*'■'' ■ Mr •%* 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide* 1 56 

hall. They call upon his name as the Beloved Son of 
their heavenly Father. They pray to Christ to intercede 
with God to have mercy on them and to pardon their in- 
iquities, or they pray to Christ to forgive them their sins, by 
the power he has received of the Father. They consider 
that God the Father, is the only source from whom all 
blessings flow. 

59. There is but one true God, gracious, wise, and mer- 
ciful, praised be God, God is God, and Jesus Christ is his 
Son, his Prophet. He was sent into the world to teach 
mankind True Religion, say they. 

60. They say that it is from the principles of Idolatry, 
that so many men have been Deified as Gods, in the differ- 
ent parts and ages of the world ; but if this be done igno- 
rantly, yet sincerely, it will not finally prove their eternal 
damnation. Be clothed with the mantle of charity. Amen. 

61. As it respects the preceding observations concern- 
ing God and Christ, as some believe ; We and the writer 
of this book, do not make or fix, definitely, any conclusion, 
chosing rather to let the scriptures determine. But we 
advise every one to read, search, and examine the scrip- 
tures for themselves, (and not to trust to what they may 
hear from the pulpit, or what other men may say or write 
of them.) We want every one to judge for themselves, 
and to draw their own conclusions, as they shall think or 
find to be most proper or correct ; and not to make their 
conclusions from what others tell them. With these im- 
pressions, we have been induced to give the belief of oth- 
ers, that they might know what may be said on the sub- 
ject. 

62. We content ourselves, in believing, as the scrip- 
tures in so many places, so plainly, so repeatedly, and so 
positively declare, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. — 
Here we leave it, not wishing to bind any person's con- 
science ; for the conscience of every one is, or ought to 
be, for ever perfectly free ; and though we may difi'er in 
opinion, yet we may be friends. 

63. We hold that the Spirit of God, the works of God's 
creation, together with reason and the scriptures, are suffi- 
cient, if properly adhered to, to direct all mankind, in 
their faith and practice. And if they pursue this plan it 
will guide them in that straight, bright and shining way, 
which leadeth to immortal glory, happiness, and salvation. 

64. **But 1 would have you know, that the head of 



156 Beautits of Primithe Christimiity^ «r, 

every man is Christ ; and the head of the woman, is tht 
man ; and the head of Christ is God." 

66. *' And I say unto you, my friends," said Jesus, ** be 
aot afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have 
no more that they can do." But, reverentially fear, wor 
ship, and adore the God of heaven. 

QQ, " Consider the lilies how they grow : they toil not, 
they spin not ; and yet, I say unto you, that Solomon, in 
all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these." " Fear 
not, little flock ; for it is your Father's good pleasure t< 
give you the kingdom." 

67. *' Love ye your enemies, and do good ;" ** and youi 
j?eward shall be great ; and ye shall be the children of the 
Highest : for he is kind unto the unthankful and the evil.*' 
** And as. ye would that men should de to you, do ye else 
to them likewise." 

68. Conferences or Associations, may be established in , 
different places, embracing as large extent of country as 
may be thought practical, for social purposes, mutual cor- 
respondence, divine knowledge, and Christian union.— 
These conferences or associations, to be composed of de- 
legates or representatives chosen by the individual church* 
es. They are to be held in such placet as is thought pro- 
per by the delegates, but some where within the jurisdic- 
tion of the particular conference or associaiton, to which 
the respective representatives belong. It is to be under- 
stood, that no conference or association, composed of dele ^ 
gates or representative as above, have power to pass any 
act or resolve, that shall be binding on any particular 
church, unless it be by their own consent ; which consent 
is to be known or ascertained by a majority of the votes of 
all the brethren belonging to any particular church. But 
yet they may advise and help in determining, and in set 
tling differences, and propose plans to be pursued for the 
welfare and prosperity of Zion. |G°* Though the church- 
es here on earth, for convenience and social purposes, are 
located in different places, and have different numbers ; 
yet, it is not to be understood, that the church of God, is 
many churches, but one church. This one Church of 
God, is, and is to be composed of all the truly virtuou? 
really pious, and godly in heart, of all nations in all ages, 
whether they belong to any particular church here on 
earth, or not ; but who are written in heaven in the 
Lamb's book of life. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 107 

(J9. " O that men would praise the Lord for his good- 
ness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. 
Let them exalt him also in the Congregation of the People, 
and praise him in the Assembly of the Elders." Give God 
all the glory, for it is from his divine providence that w^e 
derive all our real pleasures, all our continued blessings, 
and all our substantial joys ; it is from his tender mercies 
that we live, move and have a being ; it is from his good- 
ness that we are clothed ; it is from his bountiful hand 
that we are fed ; it is from his unbounded care of us, that 
we are supplied with drink to slake our thirst, and all the 
necessaries of life ; and it is from his tenderest love and 
mercy, that we have the day and means of grace, happi^ 
ness, and eternal glory, freely offered to us, without mo- 
ney and withbut price, in the gospel of salvation. 



HYMN XX. 



Ordination Hymn. Christ's Commission to Preach th€ 
Gospel. Matt. x. 

I. Go preach ye Heralds in God's name, 
Sweetly the Gospel trumpet sound. 
The glorious Jubilee proclaim. 

Where'er the human race is found. 

t. The joyful news to all impart, 

And teach them where salvation lies : 
With care bind up the broken heart. 
And wipe the tears from weeping eyes 

3. Be wise as serpents where you go. 

But harmless as the peaceful dove. 
And let your heav'n-taught conduct show, 
That ye re commission'd from above. 

4. Freely, from God ye have received, 

Freel) , in love, to others give ; 
Thus shall your doctrine be believ'd,-— 
The desert blossom as the rose. 
14 



15^ Beauties of Pi'lraitive Christianity^ or. 

HYMN XXI. 
RELATIVE DUTIES. 

Art tbon a husbiind, love thy wife, 
True friendship is the balm of life. 
Art thou a master, mercy mind. 
If wealthy to the poor be kind. 
Art thou a king, in meekness reign. 
The hearts of subjects strive to gain. 
Art thou a child, act well with care. 
Be duteous and modest fair ; 
Be virtue thy unfading bloom, 
For^ mental charms survive the tomb. 
Art thou a wife, be like the dove, * 
In constancy as well as love. 
Art thou a father, children show, 
^ The way wherein they ought to go. 
Art thou a mother, then be wise, 
Good, happiness, in prudence lies. 
Art thou a friend, be then sincere, 
in poverty a friend appear. 
Art thou a servant, faithful be, 
Commend thyself by industrj. 
In every action, thought and word, 
Aim at thy Maker's highest praise. 
Art thou a preacher, preach with care. 
The gospel to all men declare. 
Art thou a Christian, light must shine 
In all good works pure and divine. 
Thus raayst thou ever spend thy life, 
In peace and love, but not in strife ; 
In doing good where'er thou go, ^ 
And so fulfil God's laws below, v 
And God his blessings will bestow ; y 
Pursue the path that leads above, 
Thy heart at all times fiU'd with love : 
Till thou arrive in Paradise. 



Tke Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 159 

CHAPTER XXV. 

The Virtues, — Brotherly Love, Truth, Prudence^ Temper- 
■ tnce, Justice, Fortitude, and Charity explained. 

Section 1. — Brotherly Love. 

1. By the exercise of this virtue, we are taught to re- 
gard the whole human species as one family, whether high 
or low, rich or poor, bond or free ; of whatever colour, 
or of whatever nation ; who as children of the same Pa- 
rent, are to aid, support, protect, and strive to make each 
other happy. 

2. To relieve the unfortunate and distressed ; to assist 
the needy in their wants, and to console the disconsolate, 
the weeping, +he mourning soul ; may be considered as the 
most important branches of brotherly love. These duties 
are incumbent on all men, who are linked together by the 
common ties of kindred nature ; but more particularly 
on christians, whose hearts are or ought to be filled with 
the tenderest feelings of brotherly love to all mankind. 

3. To soothe calamity, alleviate misfortune, sympathise 
with the miserable, and, as far as may be in their power. 
to restore peace and tranquillity to the troubled mind, ought 
over to be objects of primary importance, and actuate eve- 
ry one to the wilUng, ready performance of these noble, 
and highly exalted duties. 

Section II. — Truth. 

1 . We are taught in the scriptures, that truth is a pe- 
culiar attribute of God ; that those " who worship him, 
must worship him in spirit and in truth." Christianity 
teaches us, that truth must, or ou2;ht to have its seat in our 
hearts, and there reign and be a prenominant principle. — 
This, therefore, is a theme, which we ought to contem- 
plate, and, by its dictates, endeavour to regulate our con- 
duct ; for we are told, that God " desireth truth in the in- 
ward parts." 

2. Truth is firm. It is founded on a substantial, true 
and solid foundation. Christ has said, " 1 am the way the 
truth and the life." It is almost always irresistible, and 
those who practise it, in ail their transactions, can never 
be put to shame : while '* the wicked flee, when no man 



160 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ ©r, 

pursueth ; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.'' Let 
us, therefore, not only in regard to truth, but, likewise in 
every other moral and religious duty, always maintain the 
testimony of a good conscience, and then God will be our 
friend ; and if God be for us, who can be against us ? 

3. The heart and tongue ^should unite in promoting mu- 
tual welfare among the humdn family, to earth's remotest 
regions, and in rejoicing in the prosperity and happiness of 
all mankinH. 

4. We ought ever to keep true and faithful, all secrets 
committed to our trust, in confidence, and not reveal them. 
We are not bound to tell or publish to the world, any thing 
which would not benefit, but injure ourselves or commu- 
nity at L<rge : Yet when we^speak, we ought ever to speak 
the truth. 

The man, whose mind's on virtue bent, 
Pursues some gretly good intent, 

With undiverted aim, 
Serene, beholds the angry crowd, 
Nor can their clamors, fierce and loud, 

From truth and honour force. 

Section 111. — Prudence. 

1. Prudence teaches us to regulate our lives and actions 
agreeably to the dictates of reason, and the grand monitor 
within, our own conscience, and to determine rightly ou 
the mode of conduct, which we ought to pursue, in respect 
to our present, as well as our future final happiness. Pru- 
dence is a virtue which ought to be the peculiar character- 
istic of every christian. 

2. All our thoughts, words, and actions, ought to be go- 
verned by Prudence, tempered with Love, and clothed in 
Charity. Our thoughts wonld not then be suffered to rove 
upon trifling objects ; from our hearts would proceed no 
evil thoughts, such as m- orders, thefts, robberies, burgla- 
ries, adulteries, seduction, fornication, or wickedness of 
any kind. Our words would be instructing, enlightening, 
edifying, always conducted v/ith prudence ; and our ex- 
pressions would always be innocent and modest. Our ac- 
tions would always be becoming, decent, modest, inoffen- 
sive, and useful ; in whatever station of life we might be 
placed. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 161 

3. Prudence would lead the magistrate to hear and to 
leteFoiine with candour, correctness, and impartiality: — 
The preacher to suit Lis discourses to the place, circum- 
stances, and the hearers , always adhering to the rules of 
the gospel in its purity : Tne husband and wife, the father 
and mother, the child and ap,jrentice, the master and ruler, 
the servant and subject, would all, in their several sta- 
tions, act with propriety, consistancy, and prudence. 

4. Prudence would lead us to seek first the kingdom of 
aod, and his righteousness ; and then all these things would 
be added. It would lead us to worship God in spirit and 
in truth, and conduct in that way which would be to his 
g;lory and the happiness of mankind. Being guided by the 
tiictates of conscience and reason, we should ever walk in 
the straight path of innocence, prudence and propriety. — 
Every sentiment, every thought, every word, and every 
action would be big, and richly laden w^th benevolence. 
Every amiable, every social, every moral, every useful, 
and every virtuous principle would brightly shine out in 
all we say, and in all we do. All liatred ana discord would 
be turned into love and harmonious concord Peace, re- 
gularity, and decorum, would be the ruling principles of 
every mind, and actuate every heart. 

5. Man is frail and short-sighted, and the niost prudent, 
may sometimes deviate from the rules of strict propriety. 
But on discovering the errour or deviation. Prudence 
would lead him to reform. Then others being clothed 
with the mantle of charity, would join with the mc^yim of 
^be ancient philosophers, in saying, ' to err is human, to 
iv^rgive, d^ine.' 

^ Section IV. — Temperance. 

1. Temperance may be defined to be the restraint of 
passion and appetite. Reason and observation bear ample 
testimony that temperance is essentijil to health and hap- 
piness. The gospel urges the necessity of temperance, 
and describes its salutnry effects. Christ has? set mankind 
4he noblest example of temperance. It becomes us as ra- 
tional beings, to be temT>erate in our food, temperate in 
our drink, temperate in all things. So highly, indeed, has 
it always been esteemed, that it ranks as a noble virtue in 
every system of morality ; yet, its dictates h;(S been too 
•ften disregarded. As uncontrolled passions lead to wick- 

14* 



1 62 Beauties of Primitive Chnstianity^ qv^ 

eclness, turbulence, and misery, so temperance leads to 
virtue, tranquillity > and happiness. It is a guide to health, 
wealth, and prosperity. It forbids us to indulge in sensu- 
al wicked pleasures, or enlivening, yet enervating luxuries, 
fo excess. It inculcates economy in all the concerns oi 
life. 

2. When we are convinced that temperance leads to 
i)iiss, why do we hesitate a moment, to adhere to its com- 
mands and entreaties ? It is essentially necessary that this 
virtue, should be observed by all who wish to live with 
comfort themselves, and be a blessing to all around them, 
and to the world of mankind. 

3. The dire effects of intemperance, are too well known, 
to need to be described. Ask the disconsolate widow who 
has been robbed of a once kind, affectionate, loving, virtu- 
ous husband, through intemperance, by an untimely death, 
fVom the effects of intemperance ; and she will answer in 
sighs, tears, and silent accents ; yet, in language plain to 
he understood — ' I might now enjoy the pleasing compa- 
ny of a kind husband, had it not been for intemperance. 

4. Ask the little, weeping, helpless orphan, who has 
been called to bid a final adieu to his father or mother, 
who were brought to an untimely end through intemper- 
ance, and they may tell you, in their tears, that they are 
deprived of the dearest of parents by intemperance. 

5. He that would otherwise have been useful in society, 
a support to his family, a blessing to himself, and a bright 
and shining ornament to the world, has ruined his affection- 
ate wife, afflicted his indulgent parents, disgraced his chil- 
dren, and perhaps plunged himself, his wife, md his ten- 
der children, into wretchedness and misery. 

— War its thousands slays ; 

-In th' embatti'd plain, 



rho'io;h death exults and claps his raven wings. 
Yet reigns he not e en there so absolute, 
So merciless, as in yon frantic scenes 
Of midnight revel, and tumultuous mirth, 
\¥here, in th intoxicating draught, conceal'd, 
Or couch'd beneath the glance o\ lawless love ; 
He snares the simple youth who nought suspecting. 
Mean* to be blest — but finds himself undone. 
Down the smooth stream of life, the strippling darts, 
Gay as the morn ; bright glows the vernal sky ; 



The Auxiliary and Supplernmtary Guide, ! GS 

f lope swells his sails, and passion steers his course ; 

Safe glides his little bark along the shore, 

Where Virtue takes her stand ; but if too far 

He launches forth, beyond discretion's mark, 

Sudden the tempest scowls, the surges roar, 

Blot his fair day, and plunge him in the deep. 

O sad, but sure destruction where Intemperance rules 1 

Let Temperance, then, take and keep the helm, while 
all the other virtues stay on board, and along the stream of 
life, with safety you will sail, until you arrive in the fair 
haven of eternal rest. 

Section V. — Justice. 

1. Justice is a divine attrib||fe. This ennobling virtue^ 
gives the mind a high elevation ; raising it above even the 
desire of doing injustice either to ourselves, or to our 
friends or enemies, or to God. If Justice be an mmate of 
the soul, and the standard of all our actions, the mina will 
be at ease ; nay, elevated far above all the poverty, the 
deprivation of liberty, or all the sickness and calamities 
that can befal us ; and will enable us to bear up against, 
and *;ndure with a composed mind, all the greatest evils of 
life. 

2. Justice consists not merely in ap equal distribution 
of property, nor in rendering unto every one that which is 
his just due; but extends also to all the transactions, of 
whatever nature, that pass between man and man, in all 
circumstances of life. 

3. The best rule of strict justice is summed up in these 
words, Do unto all as you could reasonably wish to have 
them do. unto you were they placed in the same circum- 
stance m which you are. 

4. Justice particularly relates to the manner in whicfe 
we treat the chariicter of the absent, either of iViends or 
enemies. He who wantonly sports with the character of 
an absent acqu.iintance, can have little claim to humanity, 
and none to justice ; yet how many are there who delight 
in exposing tiie little faults and foibles of a friend to a to© 
greedy and ever censorious world. 

6. The full, manly and honest exercise of justice, leads 
to nearly the whole duty of man. It is an indispensable 
ingredient for tempering every virtue : without it erery 



164 Etaiities of Primitive Christianity, dr, 

other virtue is incomplete ; and by its true standard are 
approved or disapproved all the transactions of men. 

6. A love of justice early impressed on the tender minds 
of youth, will greatly influence all their future conduct in 
life, and tend much to their welfare, usefulness, pre- 
sent final happiness. 

7. Justice is a glorious and communicative virtue, or- 
dained for the common good of mankind. The just man 
wrongs nobody, in thought, word or deed, designedly, but 
contents hinaseif with whiit God has bestowed upon him 
either with or without his own prudence and industry, does 
good to all, give* every one his just due, if it is in his pow- 
er, and speaks evil of none. 

8. Justice extends also to the rights of others, and pre- 
serves them, upon all occasions, sacred and inriolable. 
Justice leads us to be tl^fe to our friendships, to our 
promises and contriicts, just in our traffic, just in our de- 
mands, just to the infirmities .and unintentional mistakes 
and errors of others, and just by observing a due modera- 
tion, even when intentional wrongs and injuries are done 
us ; forgiving them, as we hope to be forgiven by om! 
heavenly Father. 



The time will come 

When God will separate, the just from the unjust. 
The guiltless frc^n the guilty shall select, 
And give to every man his due reward. 

Section VI. — Fortitude. 

1. Fortitude is that noble and steady purpose of the 
mind, which enables us to resist temptation, and encoun- 
ter danger with spirit and resolution. This virtue is equally 
distant from rashness and cowardice ; an^l he, who is pos- 
sessed of it, is seldom shaken and never overthrown bj the 
storms, which surround hfm. 

2. A man of nn upright spirit and fortitude of mind, dis- 
dains the malice of fortune. He does not suffer his hap- 
piness to depend upon her smiles ; and, therefore, with her 
frowns he sh dl not be dismayed : As a rock on the sea 
shore, he stands firm, and the dashing of the waves dis- 
turbs him ttot. He r.iises his head like a tower on a hill, 
and the arrows of fortune drop at his feet. 

3. True fortitude and undaunted courige of heart, sus- 
tain a man in the instant of danger ; the steadiness of his 



Tke Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 166 

mind bears him up through all the unexpected or sudden 
appearance of any thing terrible. And in the midst of 
imminent danger, the composure of his mind, will, if pos- 
sible, enable him to extricate himself, and thus he will es- 
cape many calamities which otherwise would have falle« 
upon him. 

4. We see in the character of Christ the greatest instance 
of fortitude nobly displayed in his sufferings. 

5. The man of fortitude meets the frowns of fortune 
with the greatest composure of mind ; even in the midst of 
bodily sickness, pain, distress and death ; he evinces to 
mankind, that calmness which astonishes the beholders or 
bystanders, while they may be led to break out in earnest 
exclamations and astonishment, and with a humble prayer 
and a sincere desire, say, O ! Let me live thp lite of the 
righteous, that I may die the death of the righteous, that my 
latter end might be Hke his, — in mind and heart, all glori- 
ous, tranquil, and happy. 

Section VII. — Charity. 

1. Charity! O how lovely is the theme! It is the 
brightest gem, which can adorn the Christian or the moral 
man. It is the best test and the surest proof of our being 
possessed of that religion, which cometh from above. 
Charity is the chief characteristic of a virtuous and liberal 
mind. It combines in a pre-eminent degree most good 
qualities, which can adorn the heart, and excludes the vices 
and feelings, which are inseparable from an unkind dispo- 
sition. Charity is a principle of supreme, prevailing love 
to God, and good will to all mankind. 

2. The relief of want and wretchedness, although in it- 
self meritorious, forms only a small part of this excellent 
virtue and divine attribute. Neither envy, pric'e, anger, 
or falsehood, can dwell in the same breast with charity ; 
but forbearance, humility and truth, are its necessary con- 
stituents. Every character which is admired for the prac- 
tice of those virtues, makes individuals amiable, and teaches 
the value and excell nceof this transcendant quality. 

3. The good Samaritan is the subject of universal praise, 
and the benevolence which is displayed towards the vic- 
tim of cruelty, is enhanced by the unfeeling indifference 
of the Priest and Levite. Luke x. 30 — 37, But the- for- 
giving temper, the generous afl'ection, the faithful fidelity, 
and patient suflferings of Joseph, exhibit in the extensive 



166 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ «r, 

and affecting views, which eyery good man is anxious to at- 
tain. 

4. Blessed and happy is he, who is successful in the 
amiable, virtuous inheritance of that quality, which opens 
in each heart a heaven. He is like the meandering stream, 
tranquil in itself, and diffusing health and fertility whither- 
soever it flows. 

6. Benevolence, attended by heaven-born charity, i« 
an honour and happiness to all who possess it. The chari- 
table man envieth not his neighbour, nor does he listen 
with patience to a tale which hns been told to his injury. 
Revenge or mrdice has no phire in his breast. He for- 
gives and endeavours to forget the injuries he has received 
from others. Let us remember ever to be reaiiy to listen 
to those who crave our assistance, and extend readily and 
willingly, a liberal hand to those who are in want. 

6. If we are ever actuated by the endearing principle 
of charity, a heartfelt satisfaction, a good conscience, and 
a quiet, contented mind will amply reward our labour, and 
the blessings of the Most High will await us through the 
chequered scenes of this our probationary life. 

7. " Above all things have fervent charity among your- 
selves : for charit}' sh ill cover the multitude of sins. Use 
hospitality one to another, without grudging. As every 
man hath received the pft, even so minister tne same one 
to another, as good stewards of the manifold gra e ot God.'' 
1 Peter iv. 8—10. 

8. Charity is, sometimes, taken only for giving alms ; 
and sometimes for having a favourable opinion of our neigh- 
bours ; but the proper interpretation of the word is love, 
heavenly love, purest love, God jjke love. Tijat love 
which will continue when unknown years sh H '^ease to 
roll, when time shall be no more. It then, and jv ever, 
will be the glorious theme of love, and reign pre- v minently 
sublime in the heavenly paradise eternally. Ii will for 
ever be the etern il joy, the perfect happines?^, and the 
sweetest song of all the ransomed when caller home to 
glory. 

9. But here on earth, the tears just or fast falling from 
the poor, disconsolate weeping widow's eyes, are wiped or 
dried up by the fostering, soft, gentle, kind, affectionate, 
loving, relieving and pitying heart and hand of Charity. 
The poor orphan left exposed and cast upon a merciless 
world, finds a safe retreat, and a sure protection under the 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 1§7 

balmy wing of meek-eyed Chathty. The distressed and 
forlorn ahvays find a friend in need, a friend indeed, 
wherever charity gains her blissful seat. The aged are 
fed, clothed, comforted, and taken care of in their de- 
clining years, by those whose hearts glow with this purest 
of virtues. Thus Charity is the grand deliverer, guardian 
«ind physician of the bodies, and the balm and happiness of 
the souls of those on whom ill-fortune has set his seal, and 
'cast his sable mantle of distress and despair. Let us, 
therefore, awake to righteousness, and invite Charity, vvith 
all her associates, the other virtues, to establish, and for 
ever keep their empire, their kingdom, within our hearts. 
See 1 Cor. xiii. chap. 



HYMN XXII. 



i paraphrase 9n the First Epistle of Paul ^ the Apostle ^ to the 
Coriiithiansy Chap, xiii. 

St. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, chap, 
xiii. has fixed the meaning, and clearly shown the effects 
«f Charity, of which chapter the following is a pleasing, in* 
structing, beautiful paraphrase. 

Did sweeter sounds adorn my flowing tongue » 
Chan ever man pronounced, or angels sung ; 
Had I all knowledge, human and divine, 
Which thought can reach, or science can define : 
And had I power to give that knowledge birth, 
In all the speeches of the babbling earth ; 
Did Shadrach's zeal my glowing breast inspire. 
To weary tortures, and rejoice in fire ; 
Gr had I faith hke that, which Israel saw, 
When MosES gave them miracles and law ; 
Yet gracious Charity, indulgent guest. 
Were not thy power exerted in my breast, 
Those speeches would send up unheeded prayer. 
That scorn of life would be but wild despair. 
A cymbal's sound were better than my voice ; 
My faith were form, my eloquence were noise. 
Charity, decent, modest, easy, kind, 
Brings down the high, exalts the lowly mind ; 
Knows with just reins and gentle hand to guide. 
•Betwixt vile shame and arbitrary pride. ^^ 



168 I'he Beauties of Primitive Christianity, &r, 

Not soon provoked, she easily forgives, 

And much she suffers, as she much believes. 

Sweet peace she brings, wherever she arrives ; 

She builds our quiet, as she forms our lives ; 

Lays the rough paths of peevish nature even, 

And opens in each heart a little Heaven. 

Each other gift, which God on man bestows, 

hs proper bounds, and due reflection knows ; 

To one fixed purpose dedicates its power, 

And finishing its acts, exists no more. 

Thus in obedience to what Heaven decrees, 

Knowledge shall fail, and prophecy shall cease. 

But lasting Charity's more ample sway, 

Nor bound by time, nor subject to decay ; 

In happy triumph shall for ever live. 

And endless good diffuse, and endless praise receive 

As through the artist's intervening glass 

Our eye observes the distant planets pass, 

A little we discover, but allow. 

That more remains unseen than art can show ; 

So whilst our mind to knowledge would improve, 

(Its feeble eye intent on things above) 

High as we may, we lift our reason up, 

By Faith directed and confirmed by IIope, 

Yet we are able only to survey 

Dawnings of beams and promises of day. 

Heaven s fuller effluence mocks our dazzled sight ;^ 

Too great its swiftness, ana too strong its light. 

But soon the mediate clouds shall be dispelled ; 

The sun shall soon be face to face beheld. 

In all his robes, with all his glory on. 

Seated sublime on his meridian throne. 

Then constant Faith, ^nd holy Hope shall die, 

One lost in certainty, and one in joy ; 

Whilst thou mor£ happ^ power, fair Charity, 

Triumphant sister, greatest of the three, 

Thy office and thy nature still the same, 

Lasting thy lamp, and unconsum'd thy flame, 

Shall still survive, and be the eternal joy 

Of holy saints, — feasting ihem,but never cloy ; 

Shalt stand before the host of Heaven confest^ 

For ever blessing and for ever blest ; 

for, '' GOD IS LOVE.'' 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 169 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Moral and Christian Lessons taught, and Examples set 
ankindy by other animals and the works of Creation. 

1. Christ has most beautifully shown us, that we can 
derive much instruction from other animals and the works 
of Creation. He has commanded us to imitate the Serpent 
in being wise ; yet to follow and to imitate the example of 
the peaceful sheep, lamb, and dove in constancy, inno- 
cence, harmlessness, peace and love. He has reminded us 
of the fruitful vine, and the fruitful tree — bearing much 
good fruit ; thereby, in the most powerful language, teach- 
ing us that we must ever be active and u.seful, bringing 
forth much good fruit to the happiness of mankind and to 
the glory of God. 

2. The tall, the incorruptible, the beautiful Cedar, 
teaches us that we are to be sound in doctrine ; beautiful 
in good works ; in our thoughts like its branches and tow* 
ering top, aspiring to heaven ; in our usefulness like its 
gum, healing the maladies of mankind. 

3. The Palm-tree teaches us ever to be upright, fruit* 
bearing, and flourishing in morality and true religion ; af- 
fording an extensive, refreshing shadow for the weary to 
repose and rest under, from the scorching flames of perse- 
cution and oppression, it also teaches us that we must 
grow by the sweet spring of the pure water of life, that 
others fleeing from the noise, cares, troubles, and perplex- 
ities of this world, may find a safe retreat, and slake their 
thirst in this celestial water. It also teaches us not to sut 
fer ourselves to be pressed or bound downwards, or grow 
crooked in principle, though heavy weights of afiliction, 
persecution, troubles, poverty, or great calamities be laid 
upon us, but to rise pre-eminently above all earthly diffi- 
culties, and direct our straight course upwards towards the 
Elysian fields of paradise on high, there, may we finally 
arrive and enjoy the blissful seat in the kingdom of eter- * 
nal glory at God's right hand. 

4. We may take the Lion for our example, in our bold- 
ness and undaunted courage, in the cause of virtue and re- 
ligion ; for *' the righteous are as bold as a lion ; but the 
wicked flee when no man pursueth.'* We may imitate 
him in nobleness and generosity of spirit. 

15 



i 



170 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

5 We may imitate the Eagle in our acuteness of sight 
and comprehension ; thereby, quickly discoTenng truth 
from falsehood or errour, good from bad nght from wrong, 
vTrSe from vice, pure religion from idolatry, reality from 
Set on; the way to true happiness from the way tom.se- 
rv Id the way from sorrow to joy. And as its flight is 
Sgh b he he?.ens, so we may let our philosophical and 
Sronomical eye pass along the starry firmament, and view 
!SJh w^.der and d. light, the works of the Gran.1 Archi- 
tecter of the universe. We may obtain a knowledge of 
hecelestial bodies, their magnitudes, motions distances, 
leriods eclipses, and order. We may read the mdom, 
^^Ztlhmd Beauty, of the Almighty Creator, m hose sa- 

f£Ii«n trace the donous Author by his works. For 

vast expanse; all '^am. a oy i ^ ^^^^^ 

conducted l^y ^ne s.,me unerring laws o^^^^^ 

A survey "f Mature , and the ober-^^^^^^ o^^ h^ ^^ ^^^ 

tiUal piety. t>> '^'■'^ "" ,.,,.„ „hen old «2e or intirmi- 
ver our duty to our «g<'" f /f ^',^, ■ we or power of any 
ty, has deprived t^«» °^^^^f^,f '^Se bfrds, when m 
, longer tak.ng care ^^f tj^^^^^^'^^^^j^^d ones on their backs 
full strength, can^ the «'« I^';^^;^"^.^ , ,,„d bring food 

cover and warm them «««^er '^^'^^'^ of them while 
forthem m their b.tis, and thu* take c«re ^^^^ ^^^^^ 

they live ^ae re .on o th^s . tb..t t^^ ^^.^^ 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 171 

as comfortable as possible. Go thou and do likewise. Bless- 
ed are the merciful : for they shall obtain aiercy. 

7. The Bee is a bright example of industry, constantly 
improving each shming moment, and should inculcate in 
our minds, this golden maxim, that we should never sit 
down with idle coBtentment, while any of our fellow crea- 
tures are in want of the necessaries of life, if it be in our 
power to help or relieve them, without doing an essential 
injury to ourselves, i. e. we ought always to help others 
whenw^e can do them more good than ourselves an inju- 
ry. '* Love thy neighbour as thyself ' 

8. Love is certainly the noblest passion of our nature. 
Many are the principles of action within us ; but ihe great- 
est of these is love. It hns the full approbation of reason 
and religion, and powerfully prompts us to try to promote 
the welfare of all mankind. 

9. The enemies of this divine virtue, are unreasonable 
ambition^ which aims to be the highest, — Pride, which 
owns no obligation, — Envy, which can bear no superior, — 
Jealousy^ which apprehends affronts and injuries, which 
were never intended, — .ringer, which refuses to deliber- 
ate, — Avarice, which withhold^ the portion which misery 
claims, — Seljishness, which knows no wants, but its own, 
and Sensual pleasure, which intoxic. tes the senses, and 
drowns the understanding. Against these, which are pre- 
dominant features in o-ir nature, let us always be on our 
guard. 

10. On the contrary, let us be persuaded to cultivate 
with assiduity, that meekness and lowliness of disposition, 
that sympathy and tenderness, that ardent and generous 
good will, which makes every broiher's situation its own ; 
and induce? us to do unto all men, as we would that they 
should do unto us. 

1 ] . That we may have, not only the inclination, but the 
ability to ;^fford effectual relief, we should go to the ant^ 
and learn of her to be industrious ; we should cinsider the 
industry of the bees, and lean, of them to provide in the 
summer of life, for the wants of the winter of old age, sick- 
ness, or misfortune ; hence 

The daily labours of the Bee, 
Awake our souls to industry. 
Who can observe the careful Ant, 
And not proride for future want,^ 



ns Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or. 

In constancy and nuptial love, 
We learn our duty from the Dove. 
The hen, which from the chilly air, 
With pious wings, protects her care, 
And ev'ry fowl that flies at large, 
Instructs us in a parent's charge. 
Thus ev'ry object of creation 
Can furnish hints for contemplation ; 
And, from the most minute and mean, 
A virtuous mind can morals glean. 
Hence from creation, many things arise, 
To make men moral, good, and wise. 

12. Upon this subject, it maybe farther observed, that- 
man, on his first entrance into existence, is by far, a more 
helpless creature than any of the brutal creation. Months, 
nay, vears, nnist elapse, before he is capable of making any 
provision for him:relf or any defence against the innumer- 
able casualties, to which he is exposed. Mutual assistance 
becomes, therefore, an imperious duty. 

13. To this, it may be added, that it has pleased the Al- 
mighty Architect, to have formed men -ds dependent crea- 
tures ; dependent on him, the God, who made them, and 
dependent on one another. 

14. He therefore, who is not industrious in that station 
in which Divine Providence has placed him ; he who does 
not, according to the utmost of his abihties, exert his best 
endeavours to promote the good of his fellow creatures, 
universally, nor that of himself, nor his brethren, may be 
justly considered as a drone in the hive, 

15. The Bee has a singular ficulty of extracting purest 
sweet out of the most noxious things ; this quality mankind 
would do well to possess. Whatever we can find, that i-^ 
good, whatever we can find that is amiable, whatever we 
can find that is lovely, whatever we can find that is virtu- 
ous, let us receive with pleasure ; and treasure it up iii 
our hearts, that we may receive benefit and profit there- 
by. And, like the Bee^ always leave that which contains 
no sweetness. And may we improve each passing moment 
to the good of ourselves, to the good of our friends and 
enemies, and to the glory of God ; that we might be useful 
in our day and generation ; and calmly, quietly, and con- 
tentedly, pass through, and finally bid a joyful farewell to 
this transitory scene of our probationary existence ; and 



M 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 1 73 

leave behind us, the sweet remembrance of the little good 
which we, in the name of God, have done ; and at last be 
admitted to the realms of eternal Miss, where sin and sor- 
row, pain and woe, trials and afflictions will be known no 
more, — there to be made perfectly happy, and continue so 
eternally, with palms of victory in our hands, and crowns 
of glory on our heads,— melodiously, and sweetly singing 
the praises of God, for ever, and ever, eternally. Amen. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Slavery and Priestcraft as viewed by some. 

1. They begin thus. What soft strains or language per- 
suasive, convincing, and descriptive shall we use to describe 
the wrongs, and picture in glowing coloujrs the sufferings, 
the misery, and the wretchedness of men, women, and 
childreu wrongfully and wickedly enslaved ? What string 
shall we touch, what words shall we use to awaken to a 
sense offeeHngthe hard-hearted man-stealer, man-seller, 
man-buyer, man-enslaver ? Awaken to the tender feelings 
of humanity and mercy, O ! ye ! who make merchandise of 
your fellow-mortals, and buy and sell men, women, and 
children, as brute beasts, 

2. Should we, with words and voice mild as when an 
holy angel spoke, enquire, W ho gyve the right for man to 
enslave his fellow-man ? What would be the probable an- 
swer ? With horror, we think we hear some of those 
slave-holders answer. Pride, riches, cruelty, and usurpa- 
tion have been our dictators. From them we have deriv- 
ed our right ; Oh ! it cannot be called a right, but a cruel 
wrong. We think they return this answer with remorse of 
conscience. 

3. O 1 then, stop, pause and reflect ; and call to mind, 
that you, after your course of usurpation and cruelty, 
must bow your proud, haughty heads in death, and moulder 
back to earth again, and mingle with your mother dust. 

4. Your slaves too, after they have toiled, worn out, 
and ended* their lives in misery, servitude, and wretched- 
ness in your service to ag/ranciise and enrich you and your 
children, must also die. Then they will claim and share 
an equahty with their tyrannical, departed masters, who 
have gone the way of all the living. Equality did we say ! 

15* 



174 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, ©r, 

ah, they will then become infinitely their superiors, they 
shall rise to eternal glory and happiness, while ye, ye impi- 
ous tyrants, shall sink to infamy, pain, and woe. Call to mind 
the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The very dogs 
had more feehngs of mercy than the rich man, for they did 
all they could, which was to try to cure his sores by lick- 
ing them, but the rich man would not so much as give this 
poor unfortunate man even the crumbs that fell from his 
table. Remember this, \i^ You cannot live in this world 
for ever. O^^* You must die sooner or later. 0:5=- Though 
now ever so rich, healthy and grand, you must by and by be- 
come a heap of mouldered, putrid matter. 

5. But, say some, we bought our slaves. Oh ! shock- 
ing to name it ! Who gave them the right to sell their fel- 
low creatures, who were equally as free as those who sold 
them ? Who will pretend to say that power, force, and vio- 
lence can give ^ch right ? Hence, according to the Rights 
of man, no person can be born a slave. Not all the human 
laws on earth can constitute the right of slavery. Cruelty, 
wickedness, and power may for a while enforce the wrong. 
But the time is soon coming, when this unhallowed prac- 
tice must be laid aside. 

6. All mankind are born equally free and of an equal 
right ta freedom. Yet, some proud, haughty, powerful, 
wicked nations, states, and empires have sanctioned, by 
their pretended laws, perpetual and hereditary slavery ! 
It must, indeed be a pretended law, to be so directly against 
the universal law of nature. 

7. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men 
are created equal ; that they are endowed by their crea- 
tor with certain unalienable rights ; that among these are 
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and freedom to 
all to worship God according to the dictates of their own 
consciences. And, to all, a free exercise and full enjoy- 
ment of Religion as they shall think proper, (in a virtuous 
decent manner.) 

8. Torce and violence on the one hand, and ignorance 
and a want of a proper education and improvement of the 
mind on the other hand, have been the means of carrying 
this shameful, unchristian practice into effect. Can there 
be any just claim to true primitive Christianity, where 
cruelty, usurpation, pride and tyranny bear the rule ? Who 
will answer there can ? No one, but every one will an- 
swer there cannot, whose heart weeps at human woe, and 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 175 

mourns at his country's woundings. And here we leave 
this unhappy subject until the great God of nature who 
has made of one blood all nations, shall avenge these op- 
pressed slaves. 

Oh, for a lodge in some vast wilderness. 

Some boundless contiguity of shade, 

Where rumour of oppression and deceit. 

Of unsuccessful or successful war, 

Might never reach us more ! Our ears are pain'd, 

Our souls are sick with every day's report 

Of wrong and outrage with which earth is fill'dy 

There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart ; 

It does not feel for man. The nat'ral bond 

Of brotherhood is sever'd, as the flax 

That falls asunder at the touch of fire. 

Men find their fellows guilty of a skin 

Not coloured like their own ; and having pow'r 

T'enforce the wrong, for such a worthy causej 

Doom and devote them as their lawful slaves. 

Thus men devote their brothers, and destroy ; 

And worse than all, and most to be deplord, 

As human nature's broadest, foulest blot, 

Chain them, and task them, and exact their sweat 

With stripes, that mercy, with a bleeding heart, 

Weeps when she sees inflicted on a beast. 

Then what are men ! And what men seeing this, 

And having human feelings, do not blush 

And hang their heads, to think mankind so base ? 

But, True Religion will plant the growing 

Seed, that will in time, soften men's hard hearts. 

9. We would also speak of ecclesiastical tyranny, if it 
may be so called. And hev' let us take a view of that 
minister who is a lord over God^s heritage, who will be 
hired to preach for nione\\ and divine for hire. By what 
descriptive name shall he be known, and what title shall 
he bear ? May he not very justly be called a hireling, a 
wolf in sheep's clothing? "Beware of fdse prophets, 
which come to you m sheep's clothing, but inwardly they 
fwe ravening wolves." *' Ye shall know them by their 
fruits," and not by their smooth, deceitful tongues. Un- 
der a cloak of- religion with their words which are well 
calculated to deceive the mo>5i discerning eyes. Do they 
not draw nigh unto God with their lips, and with their 



176 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, er, 

mouths worship him ? But does not their daily conduct 
bespeak that their hetirts are far from him ? Their conduct 
must give the answer. And for a pretence they make 
long prayers, for they think that they shall be heard for 
their much speaking, and for their great prayers^ their elo- 
quent prayers^ as they call them. 

10. Is it not too often the case, that a lazy, proud, 
haughty set of priests are, in a great measure, supported 
in their grandeur and in their idleness by a poor, hard-la- 
bouring, deluded class of people ? And ought not these 
people to be called deluded slaves to their wicked, hypo- 
critical priests ? Will not a great woe be pronounced 
against such cruel, hard-hearted ministers, who bind heavy 
burdens and lay them upon men's shoulders, while they 
themselves will not so much as move them with one of 
their fingers ? Would not the greater part of those large 
salaries be better laid out in educttting the youth of our 
land and in helping the poor, needy, unfortunate class of 
mankind ? 

11. These queries may perhaps disturb the minds of 
the masters and worshippers of the great goddess Diana 
of the Ephesians ; for they may suspect that their craft is 
in danger. 

12. They may, perhaps, as the devil did, quote scrip- 
ture to enforce their wicked, oppressive practice of per- 
suading the ignorant and othersif they can, that they will 
be eternally damned if they do not feast their ministers 
and make them rich. They may, perhaps, begin with 
saying. The Apostles were commanded to remain eating 
and drinking such things as the people gave : for the la- 
bourer is worthy of his hire.'* But we reply, that eating 
and drinking such things as the pebple gave appears to be 
the hire. 

13. They may say again, "The workm^in is worthy of his 
meat." Truly we acknowledge that godly ministers are 
worthy of their meat. But remember, '' Freely ye hare 
received, freely give." They may say again, that the 
apostles were commanded to '' Provide neither gold, nor 
silver, nor brass in their parses^ nor script for their jour- 
ney, neither two couts, neither shoes, nor yet staves." . 

14. We reply, that it appears right that they should re- 
ceive victuals, drink and clothing, if they stand in need of 
such things. Though Paul, one of the greatest of the 
apostles, not only supported himself with his own hands, 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide^ 1 77 

but had where withall, of his own eareings, to give to those 
that were with him. How Uttle does this look like the 
greater part of our modern priests or ministers at this pe- 
riod ? But we pray for a speedy reformation among the 
'xicked clergy ! and among all other wicked people. 

15. They may say again, *' Who feedeth a flock, and eat- 
eth not of the milk of the flock ?" Woe be to those that 
are not contented with eating the milk of the flock ; but 
devour the flock, those ministers that care more for the 
>leece, than for the good of the flock. " Woe be to the 
shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves ; Should not 
the shepherds feed the flocks ?" 

116. '' Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, 
ye kill them that are fed : but ye feed not the flock ;" — 
*'but with force and with cruelty, have ye ruled them.; ^ 
Ezek. 34 chapter. 

17. Were we to take a view of the thousands that have 
been put to death, by these ecclesiastical tyrants, and call 
to mind, the many tortures, and the rivers of blood that 
have flown from the veins of those innocent people, whose 
only crimes were, holding to religious liberty, and ihe 
worshipping God according to the dictates of their own 
consciences, we should be struck with horrour and amaze- 
ment, on reviewing these scenes of cruelty. Many of the 
ecclesiastical orders have ever attempted to enrich and 
aggrandize themselves, oppress others, and enslave the 
world. Be aware ofthese wolves in sheep's clothing. 

18. But perhaps they will say again, '* Even so hath the 
Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should 
live" by " the gospel," But we reply, that it does not say, 
Live by the gospel, but of the gospel. But the gospel way 
of living will not satisfy these avaricious, greedy, ravenous, 
gluttonous wolves, or those who are greedy of filthy lucre, 
— friends, lovers, and servants of mammon. 

19. They may say again, " Thou sf.alt not muzzle the 
mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. ' We reply, 
0,no,by no means ; let them have enough to eat, but do 
not make them rich, proud, and haughty, by giving them 
great salaries. But freely contribute to their necessities. 
For it is perfectly right, and really commendable, for those 
who are blessed with the means, to give what they can 
consistently spare, without essentially injuring themselve? 
or their families, to those who are in need. 

20. They may say again, that collections or contribu- 



178 Beauties of P primitive Christianity^ tr. 

tions were made in the times of the primitive christians. — 
But we ask, For what purpose were those contributions, 
made ? Not for ministers, preachers, or priests in particu- 
lar ; but for the poor, suffering christians or people, that 
stood in need of immediate assistance. This was a noble 
deed of charity, and is really commendable, and ought to 
be done in all places, in all circumstances, in all countries. 
For charity is the darling attribute of Deity, and the bright- 
est and most e«sential ornament of christians. 

21. But have we not substantial grounds for saying, — 
Woe unto such lawyers and such wicked, hard-hearted, 
proud, lazy, avaricious ministers ! as lade men with bur- 
dens grievous to be borne, and they themselves touch not 
the burdens with one of their fingers. 

22. Every honest, industrious person, that really stands 
in need of assistance, ought to be helped by those who 
have the means of helping, and are blessed with the good 
things of this life. But do they ought even to be advised 
to give to those priests who have a plenty, and live at their 
ease, upon the luxuries of the world, and are bringing their 
children up in idleness, while others and their children, 
have to work like slaves, and suffer for even the necessa- 
ries of life ? No, no, they ought not to be thus advised. 

23. The parable of the two ministers. The one was a 
minister, called, commissioned, ordained and sent of God to 
preach the gospel in its primitive purity, without hopes of 
earthly riches, earthly honours, or grandeur ; his treasure 
was laid up in heaven, and his heart was there also. And 
he had bright hopes of receiving a crown of eternal glory 
at God's right hand, after he had finished his course with 
joy here on earth. The other was called, commissioned, 
ordained and sent of men, to preach the doctrines of a 
certain set of men ; to uphold and support their par- 
ticular party, creed, and confession of men. He was a 
hireling, and preached for money, and divined for hire. — 
He had great hopes of becoming rich- in this world's goods, 
honoured, respected, and almost worshipped among men : 
but he had no faith in God, no real piety at heart, no trea- 
sure in heaven, and no hope which is like an anchor to the 
soul, both sure and steadfast, but his whole aim was to get 
mooey and make fools of the people. 

Note by the Friends, — As it respects the observations on 

» Slavery and Priestcraft, as described or held forth in a few 

of the preceding pages, we, and the writer of this book. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 179 

do not give our opinion ; but we leave them to be deter» 
mined bj the scriptures and the rights of man. Christ 
said, " Judge not, and ye shall not be judged : Condemn 
not, and ye shall not be condemned : forgive, and ye 
shall be forgiven." It does not appear that these obser- 
vations were meant to apply to all christian ministers ; — 
neither to any particular minister, or set of ministers. But 
to apply to those who are really wicked and oppressive ; 
who care for nothing else but to please the people, live 
easy, and get money. A show of godliness, is all their de- 
light — all their religion. 

CHAPTER XXVIIL 
THE CREATION. 

1. In the progress of the Divine works, there arrived a 
period, in which this earth was to be called into existence. 
When the signal moment was come, the Deity aroie in his 
might ; and by his Omniiic word created the world. What 
an illustrious moment was this, when, from non-existence, 
there sprang at once into being, this mighty globe, on 
which so many millions of creatures now dwell. 

2. No preparatory measures were required. No long 
circuit of means was employed. '' He spake ; and it was 
done : he commanded ; and it stood fast. The earth was 
at first without form, and void ; and darkness was on the 
face of the deep." The Almighty surveyed the dark 
abyss ; and fixed bounds to the several divisions of na- 
ture. He said, *' Let there be light ; and there was 
light/' 

3. Then appeared the sea and the dry land. The 
mountains and hills rose ; the rivers and brooks flowed.— 
The sun, moon, and stars, were placed in the firmament of 
heaven ; — the sun to rule and give hght by day, and the 
moon, with her borrowed silver brightness, to adorn the 
evening shades, and to give light by night. Herbs and 
plants clothed the ground. The air, the earth, and the 
water, were stored with their respective inhabitants. At 
last, man was made in the image of God. 

4. He appeared, walking with countenance erect ; and 
received his Creator's benediction, as the noblest work of 



180 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or, 

this new world. The Almighty beheld his work when it 
was finished ; and pronounced it good. Angels and arch- 
angels, saw with wonder and delight, this new accession to 
existence. The morning stars and all creation sang to- 
gether ; and all the heavenly hosts shouted for joy. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

CHARITABLE OPINIONS, 

Concerning the four Grand Divisions of Religion ; viz, 

Judaism^ Christianity ^-^ — Mohammedism, — ^and Pagan- 

ism. 

1 . Judaism, — Final Salvation to all who, in sincerity, 
still expect and look for a promised Messiah, provided 
ihey believe in, and worship God according to the light of 
nature, and the writings of the ancient patriarchs, proph- 
ets, wise men, and lawgivers, found in the Old Testament, 
which writings have been handed down to them from Mo- 
ses and other sacred writers, now called the scriptures of 
the Old Testament. Provided also, they practise mercy, 
charity, friendship, and every virtue as far as they can 
consistently, with their own circumstances and the con- 
cerns of life. 

2. Christianity, — Free salvation to all who believe in 
God and Christ, and practise every virtue, according to 
the dictates of their own consciences, the scriptures, and 
the light of nature, and the reason they possess, and occu- 
py upon, and improve the talent or talents, God has given 
them. Christianity comprehends under it, all those who 
believe that the true Messiah is already come, that Jesus 
Christ is the true Messiah, and the Saviour of the world. 
But Judaism comprehends under it, all those who still ex- 
pect and look for a promised Messiah. 

3. Mohammedism^ or Mahometism — Final Salvation to 
all who believe in, and worship God, and practise virtue 
according to the best of their information ; though they 
may acknowledge Mohammed or Mahomet, to have been 
a prophet of God. Mohammedans, or Mahometans, be- 
lieve that God is God, and that Mohammed, commonly 
called Mahomet, is his prophet, as Mahomet himself de- 
clared, saying, ' God is God, and Mahomet is his proph- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 181 

*t !' The Pope assumed the title of ' Our Lord God, the 
Pope ;' which far exceeds the title of Mahomet ; nay, the 
declaration of Mahomet, becomes a very modest and rea- 
sonable declaration, when compared with the titles of 
some of the ecclesiastical orders in Christendom. 

4. Suppose a minister should come to any people, pre- 
tending to be a minister of God, or a preacher of righteous- 
ness, and the people should believe that he was really a 
preacher sent of God, and they should hear him and be- 
lieve him ; yet it should so turn out thai he was not a 
preacher or prophet of God, but a very wicked man at 
heart : Should you think that every one that was thus de- 
ceived, would be eternally damned? If mankind were to 
be tormented eternally, on this ground, how great a pro- 
portion of mankind in Christendom, do you suppose, would 
be cast into hell ? No, we expect if we are ever so happy 
as to arrive in heaven, to meet there some of all denomina- 
tions of christians ; some Jews, who now profess the Jew- 
ish religion ; some that are called Deists ; some that pro- 
fess the Mahometan Rehgion ; nay, even some heathens, 
that live in a Pagan country, and now profess paganism. 

6. Paganism, — Final Salvation to all who have not the 
knowledge of the true God, but worship idols ; yet, at the 
same time, practise the various branches of virtue, accord- 
ing to their own minds and the light of nature. *' These 
having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show 
the work of the law -written in their hearts." Pagans 
worship and hold to a variety of gods, which they repre- 
sent in various forms. They also deify men, womei^ 
beasts and wild animals. Some worship the sun, moon 
and stars^ , Some again the works of their own hands. — 
But if these forms of worship, be done sincerely, through 
ignorance, how can we suppose that this can prove their 
eternal, endless misery ? Must they be eternally damned^ 
because they cotdd not hear and beheve the gospel ? The 
vision of the Books^ spoken of by John in the Revelation, 
proves to the reverse. It is said they were judged out of 
those things which were written in the books, according to 
their works. It does not say, book^ as though confined to 
one book, but books. Neither does it say they shall be 
judged according to God's secret will or decrees. It 
speaks of the book of life, as containing all those that were 
virtuous. Hence, may we not conclude that the Jews will 

16 



182 Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or, 

be judged according to the book they receive, viz. the 
Old Testament ; the Christians according to the book they 
receive, viz. the Bible ; and the Mahometans according 
to the book they receive, viz. the Goran or Alcoran ; and 
the Pagans according to the book of nature. And, perhaps, 
the conscience may be considered as an index to all the 
books. 

6. We may farther add, that it may be believed that 
Deists may finally be saved, though they own no revelation 
as the foundation of their religion ; provided they are sin- 
cere, and believe in one Supreme Being or Deity, and 
practise virtue according to their own reason and informa- 
tion. 

7. It appears plain from the scriptures, that mankind 
are to be finally judged by, or according to their works. It 
does not say in the scriptures, Come ye blessed of my Fa- 
ther, you are to be eternally happy ; for God Almighty, in 
the secret counsel of his own will, predestinated you to 
everlasting life, and made you for eternal happiness ; and if 
you have conducted as bad as you could, you shall be sav- 
ed, for God has so decreed it : Neither does it say, De- 
part from me ye cursed, into everlastmgfire. prepared for 
you ; for God Almighty, in the secret counsel of his own 
will, foreordained you to everlasting death ; therefore it 
will not avail you any thing, how many good deeds you 
may have done, you shall lose your reward for every one 
of them ; go to hell you must, however merciful you have 
been, for God has so decreed it. Ts^ow to find out what it 
does say on this subject, read 3Iatt. xxv, chapter, and search 
the scripture? thoroughly and imptfrtially. 

JVote by the Friends and the zcriter of this book. — As it re- 
spects the observations concerning the Gnind Divis^ions of 
Religion, we leave it for every one to draw their own con- 
clusions. Yet, however, we would caution every one to 
avoid errour in whatever shape it ma^^ appear ; and to 
adhere to the truth of things as the safe grounds to stand 
on. And again we would say, he, she, or that denomina- 
tion, who or which, is perfectly free from all errour, of 
whatever n^me or nature, let him, her, or that denomina- 
tion, cast the first stone. Human nature is frail, weak and 
liable to err, and the best may miss the right way in some 
respects. Therefore let us be cautious how we condemn 
others, while w^e ourselves, perhaps, daily commit worse 
sins or errours, than those we so rigidly censure. Not a 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 1 83 

bear profession will save us ; but if we would enter into 
the kingdom of heaven, we must do the will of our Father 
who is in heaven, as well as we know how. If we do good. 
we shall not loose our reward . 



CHAPTER XXX. 

The Philosophical Literary Union Society ; f#r 

PROMOTING EVERY MoRAL AND SoCIAL ViRTUE. 

The Constitution^ Cardinal qualifications, and belief of the 
members of the Philosophical Literary Union Society, 

1. The sole object of this society is to give and secure 
happiness to all mankind as far as is possible, consistent 
with human nature and the universal law of nature's God. 
The principles of this association are founded on Philo- 
sophical, Literary, Moral, and Social Arts and Improve- 
ments, — adorned with the pure principles of virtue and the 
spirit of universal Charity. The aid, help, and relief of 
the industrious poor, the needy, and the unfortunate are 
designed as far as possible. The Education of youth, and 
the mental improvements of all ages and classes of people, 
will also particularly engage the attention of this society. 
The funds of this society are to be appropriated to the 
above purposes. The manner of raising the funds is left 
entirely with each individual society for them to adopt as 
they shall think most proper. 

2. The Philosophical Literary Union Society believe 
that there is a Supreme Being, who created, supports, and 
governs the universe ; and that he gave universal^ not par- 
tial laws to creation. Remember man ! the Universal 
Cause acts not by partial, but by general laVvs. They 
believe that it is perfectly right for this Supreme Being to 
be called by any name, which, in any language or tongue, 
signifies the Almighty God, whether he be called Jehovah, 
God, Lord, Great Spirit, Great First Cause, or the like. 
The members of this society have the right to profess any 
religion which they shall think to be most correct, and 
to worship God according to the dictates of their own 
consciences. 

3. They believe that every one, whether male or fe- 
male, ought to put their trust in God, and to bear a good 



184 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ ©r% 

moral character, who is, or is about to become a member 
of this society. 

4. The J believe that each particular union society, 
which has been regularly formed, in any city, town, vil- 
lage or country, has the full right to regulate their own so- 
cial affairs as they shall think proper, by the majority of 
the Brethren of each particular society, and not to be 
controlled, in any respect, by any other society or societies, 
man or set of men : Excepting what the civil law requires, 

5. They believe that at the meetings of the society, 
their time, when met, after arranging the necessary affairs 
of the society, may be well employed in contrasting Virtue 
with Vice, virtuous principles with vicious principles, mo*- 
rality with immorality ; showing on the one hand the un- 
happy and fatal consequences and effects of vice and vi- 
cious habits, and on the other hand the happy and safe con- 
sequences and effects of virtue and virtuous habits. Any 
question's of a moral, philosophical, literary, ox social na- 
ture, may be brought up and argued upon in this society. 
Thus spending their time usefully and joyfully, to the glory 
of God and the pleasure and happiness of the society, and 
setting the world a grand and noble example of virtue in 
all its branches. 

6. We draw the following conclusion concerning our 
words and actions or deeds in this life, viz. Any word or 
words, deed or deeds that creates or create, causes or cause 
more pleasure than pain, more happiness than misery, 
more joy than sorrow, even in this world, is or are right. 
Therefore, any word or words, deed or deeds, that creates 
or create, causes or cause more pain than pleasure, more 
misery than happiness, more sorrow than joy, even in this 
world., is or are wrong. These observations are meant to > 
apply to words and actions in a general point of view ; be- ^ 
cause one individual action done at a certain time or place, 
may cause more pain than to counterbalance the pleasure 
or happiness, yet the same action done at other times, most 
generally causes ten times as much pleasure as pain. For 
instance, the marriage state in particular cases might be the ^ 
cause of more pain than pleasure, more unhappiness than 
happiness, more sorrow than joy, but in the general scale, 
the reverse takes place in a tea fold proportion. Hatred is 
misery, love is happiness, vice is misery, virtue is happi- 
ness. Theft, drunkenness, robbery, murder and the like,, 
give more pain and trouble to the unfortunate sufferer tham 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 185 

they give pleasure and satisfaction to the one that commits 
these deeds, therefore they are wrong. By these rules 
we determine between right and wrong, virtue and vice. 

7. The withholding the hand of charity where it really 
ought to be bestowed, gives more pain to the one from 
whom it is withheld than it gives pleasure to the one that 
withholds it : therefore Charity is a virtue, and the reverse 
is a Tice. Slander often occasions much trouble and in- 
jury, but very little pleasure, therefore slander is a vice. 
Seducing the fair sex to comply with sensual, sinful, un- 
lawful deeds, often brings much sorrow and is frequently 
attended with fatal consequences, it is therefore a sin. 
To remedy this vice, older and more experienced women 
ought particularly to instruct the young, innocent, unsus- 
pecting, and inexperienced, to always guard against it, — 
telling them the unhappy consequences attending it. Pu- 
rity produces happiness, therefore purity is a virtue. Lov- 
ing our enemies produces, offen times, friendship in our 
enemies, therefore it is an essential virtue. Friendship pro- 
duces harmony and love, therefore friendship is a noble 
virtue ; and so with brotherly love. On these principles 
has the grand distinguishing line been drawn between vir- 
tue and vice, right and wrong. But we here leave this 
subject to be pursued, through all its windings by the 
members of the Union Society and others. 

8. Chapels may be erected, and lecturers employed to 
teach mankind the principles of this society — every moral 
and social virtue, instilling these principles into the minds 
of all people. Party names of religion or politics, how- 
ever, have nothing to do in this society, — their whole aim 
being to cultivate every amiable, virtuous, social, moral 
principle, and to diffuse useful knowledge among their fel- 
low creatures, thus paving the way for all mankind to em- 
brace true religion without being biassed by party prepos- 
sessions, notions or prejudices. They always endeavour 
to meet in their meetings on the broad, pleasing, and hap- 
pifying basis of Charity, in the apartment of Brotherly-love, , 
adorned and beautified by mercy and good-will to all man- 
kind. For, they sincerely believe, that to promote Vir- 
tue in all its branches tends greatly to the happiness of 
mankind and the gtery of God. Sunday and other schools 
"^inay be established on these principles an<l conducted un- 
der the patronage of this society, in these schools, may be 
taught the various branches of Literature ; — improving the 

16^ 



iB6 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or] 

minds of the scholars in the various branches of education, 
and at the same time in piety and every moral and social 
virtue. 

9. All who acknowledge or believe in the existence of a 
Supreme Being or God, and bear a good moral character, 
may become member?^ of this society. Therefore, on 
these principles, any Philosophical Literary Union So- 
ciety may be composed of all kinds of people, kindreds, 
tongues, nations, languages and religions in the different 
parts of the earth. Discourses or Lectures upon Gram- 
mar, Arithmetic, Rhetoric, Logic, Music, Mathematics^ 
Geography, Astronomy, Geometry, History, Mechanical 
Arts, Agriculture, Manufacture, Philosophy, and the 
Works and Wonders of Nature, Art, Improvements, and 
Providence, may be delivered in this society. But nothing 
touching politics or religious parties^ or any particular 
creed, confession of faith of any particular man or set of 
menv 

10. They believe that any number of free people may 
at any suitable time and place, meet together and form 
themselves into this societ)^, which shall hereafter and for 
ever be called and known by the name of ' The Philo- 
sophical Literary Union Society ; for promoting every 
moral and social virtue.' The people of this society are 
called ' Philosophical Friends,' without any other dis- 
tinction of party name whatever. They look upon all 
mankind as on one common level, by creation. The Great 
Author of Nature has wisely created every one for his 
proper place and employment. They consider each other 
and all the virtuous part of mankind as belonging to one 
great family ; and God — their Heavenly Father- — the Lord 
of all. They suppose that their being called by different 
names, and belonging to different societies, or to no par- 
Ucular society at all, ought not to make them enemies. 

H. With these views, of their own free-will and ac- 
cord, with the consent of the brethren of any society of 
which any one wishes to become a member, any person 
may join, — and become a member of the Philosophical 
Literary Union Society, — earnestly desiring to be alight in 
the world, and a blessing to mankind, adorning his or her 
profession and character with a well ordered life and good 
conversation, that peace, love, true philosophy, improve- 
ments, arts, sciences, union, happiness, and virtue rnajf 
loiiiversally abound and the name of God be glorified. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementury Guide. 18T 

The Philosophical Literary Union Society, No. ia 

formed this 
day of A. D. and 

A. L. 

The Philosophical Literary Union Society's Record, 
BOOK No. 1. 

.^'ame$ of the members who belong or did belong to the 
Philosophical Literary Union Society^ No, in- 

together with other 
proceedings of the society, 

BRETHREN. SISTERS, 



188 Beauties cf ritmitive Christianity^ ^c. 

The Philosophical Literary Union Society's Record. 
BOOK No. 1. 

BRETHREN. SISTERS. 



iM. B. The names are to be continued on the lollowinw pages, ©r they are 
lo be filled up at some future society meeting, with such things as ought t© 
%e recorded, together with the names of those who may at different times 
join the society. And then a new Blank Society Book may be commen- 
ced, to which may be prefixed the following title, Yii : The Phihsophical 
Literary Union Sociefy''s Record ; Book, JVb. 2. and so on, each book having- 



MEMORANDUM. 189 



I on MEMORANDUM. 



The Auxiliary and Supplenuntary Guide^ iSi 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

The parable of the two Potters. The one was mse^ and 
the other foolish. 

1 . *« Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same 
Jump to make one vessel to honour, and an other to dis- 
honour V^ 

2. The wise potter, looking over the works of art and 
invention, saw that these works were not complete, with- 
out earthen vessels. He therefore wisely laid the plan of 
forming such vessels for his own glory, and the use and 
completion of creation. He then began to contrive how 
he should make them, so that they «hould answer every 
purpose, in the various uses of such vessels. He wisely 
called to mind, that he would not make any in vain, or to 
no purpose ; but that all should be useful in their proper 
place, or use for which he should design them. 

3. So he made a variety of these vessels, all for some 
use. He made none solely for the purpose of destroying 
or dashing them to pieces. Though some were broken, 
marred and spoiled, after they came out of the potter's 
shop, by mismanagement. He made some unto honour, 
i, e. to be used for honourable uses, viz. to drink out of, 
some to be used for sweet-meats, tea-cups, saucers, pitch- 
ers, mugs, plates, and the like. He also made some to dis- 
honour, i, c. vessels for unclean necessity, some to be used 
to wash in, slop-bowls, and others for still more filthy pur- 
poses, but all for some use. 

4. The foolish potter, before he began his work in mak- 
ing earthen vessels, sat him down and considered how he 
could make them so that they would be made solely for his 
own glory. And as he thought upon it, he at length hit upon 
the following plan : viz. 1 will, said he, make a great ma- 
ny earthen vessels ; but I will make one quarter of them 
for my own use and glory, and the other three quarters I 
will make solely for the purpose of destroying or dashing 
them to pieces, that my power and my glory may be made 
known. No one, said he, will ever think that there would 
be a greater display of power and glory in making them, 
than there would be in destroying them after they were 
made ; nor will they ever think that I ever made any in 
vain ; but they will all give me glory for my wise and glo- 



i92 Beauties of Primitive Chrisiianity^ Qr, 

rious plan.* I will keep my plan a profound secret to all 
eternity ; and if any body finds out my secret will, I shall 
be greatly deceived. 

5. So he went to work as he had planned it out ; and he 
made one quarter to be saved for use : Then he went on 
again, and made three times as many as he had before 
made ; these he made solely for the pleasure and glory of 
destroying them. 

6. Then, after he had completed them all, he goes as 
he had decreed, and gathered the one quarter which he 
had first made, from among the other three-quarters, and 
IpTought them into his own house for his own use and 
glory. 

7. Then he goes out to destroy those he had made for 
destruction : and as he goes his temper begins to rise, and 
he gets into a dreadful fit of passion, madness, wrath, and 
anger ; so as he draws nigh, he lays hold of the first thing 
he could get hold of, and rushes in among the vessels he 
had designed and decreed to their fate, and in a great fury, 
and with terrible power and wrath, he dashes them all to 
pieces ; not leaving even one single one whole ; for so he 
had decreed it : Yet, his wrath remains even on the bro- 
ken pieces for ever. Which of these two potters, think ^ 
ye, most resembles our heavenly Father, who made man of 
the dust of the earth ? 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO KINGS ; ^ 

The one was wise^ mercijul and pist ; and the other nas 
foolishy cruel and unjust, 

1 . The wise, merciful, just King, found that his subjects 
were very wdcked. They had transgressed his law, which 
he had given them when they became his subjects. There- 
fore, he called them cn.^ morning, and enquired of them, 
How they came to transgress his holy law. They replied 
that they were deceived by a wicked being, who had de- 
ceived them, and led them into this sin. The King then 
told them, in consequence of their disobedience and trans- 
gression, they should be driven out of the delightful, fruit- 
ful garden, in which they had always lived. He thea 



i 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 1 93 

gave them a code of laws, and told them if they would keep 
those laws, they should be pardoned and made happy -_ 
He also told them, that in process nf time, he would send 
his own son, to give them more particular instructions, 
which, if they would hear, obey and follow, they should 
again be restored to the happy Paradise. He farther 
more told them, that if they transgressed his, or his Son'« 
commands, they should be punished according to their 
crimes. He told them, that he should, on some future 
day, summon all of them to appear before him, both good 
andbad; both those that had kept his commands, and 
hose thathad transgressed them. On that day, said he 
I shall lay open plain before you, all that you Lve done 

belore him. Then he turns to those who had been virtu- 

St' li t^ km'"'' ''"^ '^'^ "°*° *'^«"' Come, my obe- 
dient, lovely children, come into this Paradise with me 
and be for ever happy. He then relates unto them X 
many good deeds of mercy and charity, they had do^e- 

but he told'thLTr"""' "^u^^'-'S these deeds to hi,n ; 
but he told them, that inasmuch as they had done it to his 
subjects they had done it unto him. So these vrtuou 
ones entered into the kingdom of glory. ^'"uous 

2. He then turns to those wicked, rebellious hard- 
hearted, cruel subjects, that had continually tlsgressed 
bis hob. laws, and said unto them. Ye have been vfry un- 
merciful ; ye have transgressed my laws; ve have ceen 
my unfortunate subjects in distress, 'and ye have not help, 
ed them ; ye have seen them naked, and ye have not clo h 
ed them ; hungry and have not fed them. So he re^t 
the many deeds of wickedness they had done, he shows 
hem how hard-hearted, and cruel they had been he 
tellsthem that they have feasted themselves, and been 
clothed m purple and fine clothing whilp th^ n A i u 
been crying for help about their"i:'s'' Bu't h y^ctld 
not see how this was any thine to thp Kin.. . T 1^ • , 
when did we do these thing^f But hf pS „r;nn ^.f '''' 

they had done it nnto him. They were f hpn 11 . u^i ' 
and he said unto them, Depart infoT/ i 'P/^'^l^'ess ; 



1 94 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, »r\ 

severelj' punish three-quarters of my subjects, in order to 
make my power known. The other one quarter I will 
make happy, and receive them into this my splendid pa- 
lace. 

4. So, he in his own mind, forms a decree, but keeps it 
a profound secret to his subjects. The decree is as fol- 
lows, viz. — I will, thought he, (but how his subjects found 
out his secret will, is a very strange thing,) in his own 
mind, make a league with an infernal spirit ; him I will 
send among my subjects, to deceive them ; and I will com- 
pel them to follow him ; and 1 will make all of them trans- 
gress my laws ; for I have the power in my own hands, 
and they are obliged to do as 1 command them ; nor can 
they possibly do aoy other way than 1 wish to have them 
do. 

5. So all of his subjects transgressed his laws. He de- 
creed in the first place, before any had transgressed, how 
many he would save the lives of, and how many he would 
put to the crudest death. This was done without any re- 
gard to what his subjects might do. For though some 
should do ever so bad, yet he would save them, because 
they were of the elect. And he would put others to death, 
not because they had done wrong, but because he had not 
elected them , it made no difference how well they had done, 
they must suffer, because the King had not chosen them. 

6. He made a law, and then made his subjects break that 
law, and then punished them for breaking that law ! He 
decreed that he would summon all his subjects before him, 
and then would make a grand distinction between them — 
by makingone-quarter of them happy, and the other three- 
quarters miserable. This was done solely for the pur- 
pose of makijjg his power known, without any regard to 
their conduct. 

7. But what is very remarkable, is, that notwithstand- 
ing he had ever kept all his decrees secret to himself, yet 
some of his subjects pretended to declare to the world, 
what was to them a secret or unknown. But they were 
after asked how they could pretend to declare, what was a 
secret, or was unknown to them. 

8. This cruel King, at length, summoned all his sub- 
jects before him. He then turned to them, they being all 
assembled beiore him, as he had decreed with himself, 
picked oat those whom he had chosen before they had be- 
come his subjects, and took them to himself, and made 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 195 

them happy. He then turned to the other three-quarters, 
and pronounced their sentence ; which was, that they 
were to depart, or to be taken away, to a most horrid place 
of torment. 

9. They asked why this hard sentence should be pro- 
nounced against them. The King answered them, saving, 
— You are to receive this punishment, because I had 
decreed it long before you were born. And what was still 
more cruel, he sent his own son, under a pretence, to die 
for the elect. And his Son was most crelly put to death to 
no purpose. For the elect must be saved at all events ; — 
Therefore, there was no need for his Son to die for them : 
And if he died for those that were foreordained to ever- 
lasting death, he must have died in vain : For none of 
them could be saved, for the King had decreed their pun- 
ishment : In short, if his Son died for those that were pre- 
destinated to eternal life, he died in vain ; and if he died 
for those that were ordained to everlasting death, he must 
also have died in vain, O ! horrid cruelty ! 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

The parable of four men and four women, travelling through 
this world to the world of spirits. Two cities at the end of 
their journey : One called the city of Happiness ; the other ^ 
the city or abode of Misery. 

1. There were four men and four women, called to go 
to the city of Happiness. But before they started on their 
journey, they were showed the way, and directions were 
given them, how to proceed on their journey. They were 
forwarned of the many bye paths that they would be likely 
to take, unless they were very careful and ever on their 
watch ; keeping full in view the great light in the city. — 
They were showed the city of Happiness, which lay at the 
end of a straight road from where they started. They 
were told, that there were a variety of beautifully looking 
fruits, on either side of this road, which they must not step 
aside to obtain. 

2. They were forewarned that they would pass in sight 
of vineyards and wine presses, flowing with the delicious 
wines, but that they must not go out of this way to enjoy 
them. They were informed that they would see trees 



196 Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or^ 

ioaded with the fairest of fruits, but they must refuse to 
turn aside to taste them. 

3. They were told that they would hear charmingly 
sweet music, captivating singing, with many rejoicing 
and seeming to be happy ; but they were forbidden 
to join with them in their festivals and merriments. — 
The men would see the fairest of women, who would en- 
vite them to come with them, and enjoy the pleasures of 
their happyfying company ; but they were told not to go 
out of the way to enjoy their company, for their ways lead 
to the city of Misery. 

4. The women would fall in the company of men of 
the most wining and captivating accomphshments. But 
tfieir embraces lead to immediate woe and wretchedness, 
and would fix a stain on them and their characters, that 
could never be wiped off. 

6. They all, both men and women, were earnestly re- 
quested to pursue the one straight way, which is the way 
of unsulHed virtue, and to content themselves with such 
fruit as could be obtained, w^ithout going out of the way ; 
and to content themselves w^ith innocent and lawful enjoy- 
ments, which God had prepared for all who travel the road 
of virtue, and that they must ever be diligently employed 
in doing good to all around them, and to worship God in 
spirit and in truth. They were then assured that if they 
would comply, and always adhere to these directions, there 
was no danger of getting out of the way which leads to the 
city of Happiness. And at the end of their journey, they 
would be received into this city, to enjoy perfect happi- 
ness for ever. 

6. After hearing and understanding all these good pieces 
of advice they all set off for the happy city. 

7. But two of them, a man and a woman, had not pro- 
ceeded far, before the woman espies abundance of the most 
tempting fruit, which was but a little out of the way, and 
easily obtained. Then, said she to herself, I must step 
aside and eat some of that fruit ; the pleasant savoury smell 
so quickens appetite, that J, methinks, cannot but taste. — 
She tasted, and persuaded her companion to taste with 
her ; but soon foreboding horronr, filled their trem- 
bling, aching hearts. She wishes, but O, too late, she 
wishes, she had not partaken the forbidden fruit. Her 
eyes are open, she sees her crime, she is sensible her vir- 
gin purity has departed, she knows her virtue is gone, she 



Tht Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 197 

is robbed of that which can never be restored. In the 
midst of all her cries and tears, and bitter lamentations, a 
comforting angel, from the court of heaven, or the God of 
glory, comes to sooth her troubled mind. He tells her, 
Sorrow must be thy lot through time ; but if you sin no 
more, you shall finally reach the happy city. Her com- 
panion, through time, deplores the loss she had sustained, 
for she had cheated him out of that which he alone ought 
to have enjoyed. Yet her companion rejoices, that she 
with- him, have a prospect of being made happy in eterni- 
ty. The angel shows them the way again, and she, with 
her companion, pursue the way, until they arrive safaly 
home, in the happy city. 

8. One of the men thinks well of what he has heard, 
and is determined to pursue the cross-bearing, yet happy 
way, with care and perseverance, until he arrives safely 
in the happy city. So he sets oat with great speed ; but 
is soon hindered in his progress, by a thousand troubles, 
perplexities, and temptations. Yet he surmounts them all, 
and at last, arrives safely in the city of Happiness. 

9. One of the women sets out with good resolution to 
obtain the happy land. But she is perverted from her 
purpose, by a rude, wicked, artful, flattering man. — 
Passion rules, and she becomes an easy pray to his de- 
sires. He then leaves her with loss of character, in 
wretchedness and sorrow. She then wanders farther and 
farther from the right way ; indulging herself in sensual, 
wicked, unlawful pleasures, until she comes lo the vine- 
yard and winepress, where she attempts to drown her sor- 
rows and misfortunes, in the intoxicating draught. Pursu- 
ing this mode of conduct, she becomes hardened to every 
vice. Thus she spends a life of wretchedness, disgrace, 
and woe ; and finally lands in the city of Misery. 

10. One of the other men was the man who first sedu- 
ced this woman, when she enjoyed her youth, beauty, 
health, and virtue. He pursues his victories, and leads 
away and ruins many others likewise. He gave himself 
up to sensual pleasures. And in his travels he met with the 
unfortunate victim whom he had first brought to disgrace. 
Here remorse of conscience seizes his haunted soul, on 
seeing the beastly conduct of her who once possessed 
wealth, flime, beauty, innocence, and virtue. Then his 
distracted mind leads him to dip deep in the intoxicating 

17* 



198 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

wine, until he became deaf to the tender feelings of love, 
mercy, and compassion. Thus he wastes his time to no 
purpose, but fills up the measure of his days in wicked- 
ness, and blasphemies. And finally arrives in the abode of 
Miserj^ 

1 1 . There were two of these travellers, a man and a 
woman, happening to meet in their youthful days, as they 
travelled along the heavenly road. They soon became 
acquainted with each other. They soon agreed to join 
heart, hand, and fortune to travel together. Allured by the 
riches that lay on the side of the road, they agreed to stop 
their journey and become rich. Accordingly, fired with 
a thirst for riches, they begin the hazardous pursuit. Eve- 
ry thing prospered in their hands, which led them to push 
their adventures farther and farther, until they hesitated 
not to wrongfully take from others, their hard earnings. 
From one degree of wickedness to arKuher they went on^ 
and being filled with the love of money, until thefts, rob- 
beries, and murders they committed with an unremitting 
pace, until they ended their journey. And, lo ! to their 
utter astonishment they found themselves plunged in the 
abyss of woe and misery. 

12. The last one of these eight travellers was a woman 
of wisdom, strength, and beauty. In her youth she was 
called from the wilds of nature to travel this heavenly 
road. She viewed the faults, follies, and wickedness of 
the world in nature's darkness from which she had escaped. 
She was brought to see the fallacy of pursuing the paths of 
sensual wicked pleasures, by her observing the unhappy 
consequences that always followed. She was conducted 
by some kind angel of light, to the beginning of her happy 
travel through this world to the elysian fields of paradise. 
She reviewed with care the good instruction that had been 
given her, and resolved, come life or death, she would 
constantly pursue with eagerness that straight and narrow 
way which leadeth to imniortal glory. 1 will, said she, 
give good advice to all around me, and try to set them 
such an example, (which if they foilovv) as will lead them 
safely along in the right way 'o the city of Happiness. She 
then commences her journey. And as she passes along 
she meets with many, very many that attenipt to lead her 
astray. Many snares were artfully laid to rob her of her 
purity, chastity, and virtue, many temptations to allure her 
from her tixed determination to maintain her virtue froiu 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 190 

every assault.. All these allurements are to no purpose* 
She escapes from their snares, rules and governs her own 
passions, and overcomes all her temptations. Thus she 
pursues her journey, keeping full in view the great light 
in the city, which, says she, if 1 ever keep in full view- 
there will be no danger of losing the right way, for it 
shines brighter and brighter the nearer I approach the 
city. When lo I she at length arrives to the happy city. 
Then with loud acclamations of joy, she is bid welcome in 
to the holy city — the paradise of God. 

'***%%%'***' 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Thf. prophecy of the Peaceable Kingdom of the Branch am 
of the root of Jesse ; and the restoration of Israel. 

Isaiah xi. 1 — 12. 

1. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of 
Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots : and the 
vSpirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom 
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the 
spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord ; 

2. And shrdl make him of quick understanding in the 
fear of the Lord : and ha shall not judge after the sight of 
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears : 
but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove 
with equity for the meek of the earth : and he shall smite 
the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath 
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 

3. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, ami 
faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall 
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shidl lie down with 
the kid ; and the cidf, and the young lion, and the falling 
together ; and a little child shall lead them. 

4. And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their young 
ones shall lie down together : and the lion shall eat straw 
like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the holo^ 
of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the 
cockatrice' den. 

5. They shall not hurt n^r destroy in all my holy moun- 
tain ; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the 
Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there 
shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign ot* 



200 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

the people ; te it shall the Gentiles seek : and liis rest 
shall be glorious. 

6. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord 
shall set his hand again the second time to recover the 
remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, 
and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and 
from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from 
the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for 
the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and 
gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four cor- 
ners of the earth. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

The Comprehensive Prayer, 

1 . Our Father who art in heaven. Thou art worthy to 
receive all honour, praise, and glory. We believe in 
Thee ; strengthen our belief — We hope in Thee ; con- 
firm our hope — We love Thee ; redouble our love — We 
repent of our past sins, faults, and follies ; increase our 
repentance and enable u& to bring forth fruits meet for re- 
formation. 

2. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that 
have trespassed against us, and protect us from future 
trangressions, sins, and wickedness. We adore Thee, 
as our first principle ; and desire Thee, as our last end. 
We thank Thee, as our Benefictor ; and call upon Thee 
as our Defender. 

3. Guide us by thy wisdom, rule us by thy justice, com- 
fort us by thy mercy, and keep us by thy power. En- 
lighten our understandings, and sanctify our souls. Ena- 
ble us to reform from our past wickedness, transgressions, 
and offences, to resist and overcome our future temptations, 
to reduce the passions that are too strong for us, and to 
practice the virtues that become us. 

4. Give us the things we stand in need of, and give us 
hearts to receive them with thankfulness. Fill our souls 
and minds with a remembrance of thy favours, a love for 
our friends and enemies, and a right view of the world. 
Help us to overcome pleasure by mortification, covetous- 
ness by alms, anger by meekness, and lukewarmness by 
devotion. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 20 1 

5. May we be prudent in our undertakings, courageous 
in danger, patient under disappointments, humble in suc- 
cess, fervent in prayer, temperate in food and drink, exact 
in our employments, and constant in our resolutions. May 
we always have a quiet conscience, an inward as well as 
outward modesty, an edifying conversation, a regular con- 
duct, resist sin, and become qualified for heaven. 

6. Convince us of the smdlness of this earth, the great- 
ness of heaven, the shortness and uncertainty of time, and 
the length and certainty of eternity. Let us be prepared 
for death, constantly worship, praise, honour, and adore 
Thee, shun hell and finally obtain paradise. 

7. To Thee, we dedicate our thoughts, words, and ac- 
tions. May thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, 
as it is in heaven. For thine is the kingdom, ana th« pow- 
er, and the glory, for ever. — Amen, 



CHAPTER XXXVL 

THE VIRTUOUS. 

1 . Serenity and peace attend the virtuous — temperate are 
their pleasures ; innocent and exhilarating their amuse- 
ments ; their employments rational and useful. Gliding 
on in an even tenor, their lives are contented and compa- 
ratively happy : and their final end glorious. View the 
dying christian ! cheerful and serenely happy, he j^ield* 
his breath, and in his Saviour's arms his soul reposes, in 
the sure hope of a glorious immortality. 

2. Vast are the works of the Almighty ! Sublimely beau- 
tiful the appearance ot the heavens I Orderly is nature in 
her course ! and woBderful the structure of the earth ! — 
More vast — more beautiful — far more transcendantly glo- 
rious is virtue in is operations and effects ! More valuable 
than the gold of Ophir, is true religion ; and more to be 
prized than the plaudits of mercenary millions, is the tes- 
timony of an approving conscience, which the virtuous en- 
joy. 



-02 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

The order of Public Worship, preaching, 4'C. in populous 
assemblies, 4^c. 

1 . First : Open the meeting by reading and singing a 
Hymn or Psalm, to the praise and glory of God. Secondly : 
Continue, by prayer — making use of the Universal Pray- 
er, on page 204. Thirdly: Continue, by reading and sing- 
ing a Hymn or Psalm, to the praise and glory of God. — 
Fourthly : Continue, by preaching the gospel in its primi- 
tive purity, — not shunning to declare the truth and nothing 
but the truth, in an easy, familiar, instructing manner, as 
possible, — rightly dividing the word of truth, and giving to 
each a portion in due season. Fifthly: Continue, by 
prayer, — making use of the Comprehensive Prayer, on 
page 200. Sixthly: Continue, by reading and singing a 
Hymn or Psalm, to the praise and glory of God. And, 
seventhly : Close, by pronouncing the Beuedictiou, on the 
last page of this book. 

2. The order of family prayer, 4'C. In the morning use 
the Universal Prayer ; at noon the Lord's Prajer ; and at 
evening the Comprehensive Prayer. After each prayer, 
close with the Benediction. But occasional!)' these prayers 
may be used promiscuously on any and every occasion. 
At funerals, church meetings, ordinations, marriages, bap- 
tisings, establishing churches or societies, administering 
the sacramental ordinance, &:c. kc. At table, before meat, 
use the Lord's prayer ; and after meat, the Benediction. 
Finally, whatever jou do, do all to the glory of God, and 
the happiness of mankind. 

3. Pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks. 
Pray without ceasing, i. e. constantly have your minds in 
a frame of prayer. When jou walk along, when you work, 
when you ride, when you sail, when you are performing 
the various duties of life, pray ; making use of such words 
or thoughts as your mind leads you to. In every thing 
give thanks ', i.e. continually have a thankful heart, and 
think that God will do better for us than we can think or 
plan for ourselves. We often repine because we could 
not carry into effect what we proposed. But after a while, 
we tind that it was infinitely better for ourselves and oth- 
ers, that we failed in our attempts. Remember, that God 
does better for us than we can do for ourselves. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 203 

4. Though we have given directions and forms, for pub- 
lic and private prayer ; yet, we say, that we do not wish 
to bind any one to these forms ; but by them we would 
wish to imitate the directions of our Saviour; and at the 
same time, would pray you not to make long prayers to be 
heard of men ; but to pray with the spirit, and to pray with 
the understanding also. I, myself, have prayed hundreds 
of times, thus : O, God, be merciful to me a sinner, a wick- 
ed, poor, miserable sinner. Forgive my sins, and convert 
my soul. 



CHAPTER XXXVIIL 

POETICAL SELECTIONS. 

[Extracted from Sentimental Writings,) 

SECTION L 

The Creator^ s works attest his greatness. 

J . The spacious firmament on high, 
With all the blue ethereal sky. 
And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame, 
Their great Original proclaim : 
Th* unwearied sun, from day to day, 
Does his Creator's pow'r display, 
And publishes to ev'ry land, 
The work of an Almighty hand. 

2. Soon as the evening shades prevail. 
The moon takes up the wond'rous talc ; 
And, nightly, to the list'nmg earth. 
Repeats the story of her birth ; 
Whilst all the stars that round her burn, 
And all the planets in their turn, 
Confirm the tidings as they roll. 

And spread the truth from pole to pole. 

3. What though, in solemn silence, slW 
Move round the dark terrestrial ball ! 
What tho' nor real voice nor sound, 
Amid their radiant orbs be found ! 

In reason's ear they all rejoice, 
And utter forth a glorious roice ; 
Forever singing as they shine, 
' The hand that made us, is Divine.' 



204 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ •;•, 

SECTION IL 

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. 

1. Father of all ! in ev'ry age, 

In ev'ry clime ador'd, 
By saint, by savage, and by sage, 
Jehovah, Lord, our God I 

2. Thou Great First Cause, least understood. 

Who all our sense confined 
To know but this, that Thou art good, 
And that ourselves are blind : 

3. Yet give us, in this dark estate, 

To see the good from ill ; 

And binding nature fast in fate, 

Left free the human will. 

4. What conscience dictates to be done. 

Or warns us not to do, 
This teach us, more than hell to shun, 
That, more than heav'n pursue, 

5. What blessings thy free bounty gives. 

Let us not cast away ; 
For God is paid when man receives, 
T^ enjoy is to obey. 

6. Yet not to earth's contracted span 

Thy goodness let us bound. 
Or think thee Lord alone of man, 
When thousand worlds are round. 

7. Let not our weak, unknowing hand 

Presume thy bolts to throw. 
And deal damnation round the land, 
On each we judge thy foe. 

8. If we are right, thy grace impart, 

Still in tho right to stay ; 
If we are wrong, oh teach our hearts 
To find that better way. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary GuiSfu 

9. Save us alike from foolish pride, 
Or impious discontent, 
At ought thy wisdom has deni'd, 
Or aught thy goodness lent. 

\0. Teach us to feel another's woe. 
To shun all faults we see ; 
That mercy we to others show, 
That mercy show to us. 

M. Mean tho' we are, not wholly so, 
Since quicken'd by thy breath ! 
O lead us wheresoe'er we go, 
Thro' this day's life or death. 

12. This day, be bread and peace our lot ( 

All else beneath the sun, 
Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not. 
And let thy will be done. 

13, To thee whose temple is all space, 

Whose altar, earth, sea, skies ! 
One chorus let all being raise ! 
All nature's incense rise ! 

Amen. 



SECTION III. 

THE MESSIAH. 

Rapt into future times, the bard begun : 
A virgin shall conceive, a virgin bear a son ! 
From Jesse's root behold a branch arise. 
Whose sacred flow'r with fragrance fills the skies. 
Th' ethereal spirit o'er its leaves shall move. 
And on its top descends tne mystic Dove. 
Te heav'ns ! from high the dewy nectar pour, 
And in soft silence she«j the kindly showV ! 
The sick and weak, the healing plant shall aid ; 
From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade. 
All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail : 
Returning Justice lift aloft her scale ; 
Peace o'er the world her ohve wand extend, 

18 



^06 Beautits of Primitive Christianity^ ©r, 

And white rob'd Innocence from heav'n descend. 
Swift fly the years, and rise th' expected morn • 
Oh spring to light, auspicious babe, be born ! 
See nature hastes her earliest wreathes to brings 
With all the incense of the breathing spring : 
See lofty Lebanon his head advance. 
See nodding forests on the mountains dance : 
See spicy clouds from lowly Sharon rise, 
And Carmel's flow'ry top perfumes the skies ! 
Hark I a glad voice the lonely desert cheers ; 
Prepare the way ! The Christ, the Christ appears 
The Christ, the Christ ! the vocal hilL-i reply ; 
The rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity. 
Lo, earth receives him from the bending skies ! 
Sink down, ye mountains, and, ye vallies, rise ! 
With heads declin'd, ye cedars, homage pay ! 
Be smooth, ye rocks ; ye rapid floods, give way ' 
The Saviour comes ! by ancient bards foretold : 
Hear him, ye deaf, and, all ye blind, behold ! 
He from thick films shril purge the visual ray, 
And on the sightless eye-ball pour the day : 
'Tis he th* obstructed paths of sound shall clear, 
And bid new music charm th' unfolding ear : 
The dumb shall sing, the lame his crutch forego, 
And leap exulting like the bounding roe. 
No sigh, no murmur the wide world shall hear. 
From ev'ry face he wipes ofl" ev'ry tear. 
In adamantine chains ^hall Death be bound. 
And helFs grim tyrant feei lb' eternal wound. 
As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care. 
Seeks freshest pasture anc^ the purest air. 
Explores the lost, the wand'riog sheep directs, 
By day o'ersees them, and by night protects ; 
The tender lambs he raises in his arms, 
Feeds from his hand, rind in his bosom warms ; 
Thus shall mankind his guardian care engage. 
The promised Saviour of the future age. 
No more shall nation against nation rise. 
Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes, 
Nor fields with gleaming steel be cover'd o'er. 
The brnzen trumpets kindle rage no more ; 
But useless lances into scythes shall bend. 
And the broad falchion in a ploughshare end. 
Then palaces shall rise ; the joyful son 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 20"^ 

Shall finish what his short-Uv'd sire begun ; 

Their vines a shadow to their race shall yield, 

And the same hand that sow'd, shall reap the field. 

The swain in barren deserts with surprise 

See lilies spring, and sudden verdure rise. 

And starts amidst the thirst}^ wilds to hear 

New falls of water murm'ring in his ear. 

On rifted rocks, the dragon's late abodes, 

The green reed trembles, and the bulrush nods. 

Waste sandy valleys once perplex 'd with thorn, 

The spiry fir, and shapely box adorn ; 

To leafless shrubs the flowVing palm succeed, 

And od'rous mirtle to the noisome weed. 

The lambs with wolves shall ^nze the verdant mead. 

And bojs in flow'ry bands t e iger lead ! 

The steer and lion at one en shall meet, 

And harmless serpents lick the pilgrim's feet. 

The smiling mfant in his band shall take 

The crested basilis'- and speckled snake, 

Pleas'd the green lustre of ihe scales survey, 

And with their ^orky tongues shall innocently play. 

Rise, crown'd with light, imperial ealem, rise ! 

Exalt thy tovvVrng head, and lift thy eyes 1 

See, a long race thy spacjio?is courts adorn ; 

See future sons, and daughter? yet unborn, 

In crowding ranks on-ev'Ty pide arise, 

Demanding life impatient for the skies ! 

See barbarous nations at thy gates attend, 

Walk in thy light, and m thy temple bend ; 

See thy bright altars throng'd with prostrate kings, 

And heap'd with products of Sabaean springs ! 

For thee Iduma's spicy forests blow, 

And seeds of gold in Ophir's mountains glow, 

See heav'n its sparkling portai^ wide display, 

And break upon thee in a flood of day. 

No more the rising sun shall gild the morn, 

Nor ev'ning Cynthia fill her sib'^er horn ; 

But lost, dissolv'd in her superior rays, 

One tide of glory, one unclouded blaze 

O'erflow thy courts : the Light himself shall shine 

Reveal'd, and God s eternal day be thine t 

The seas shall waste, the skies in smoke decay, 

Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away ; 

Butfix'd his word, his saving pow'r remains : 

Thy realm forever lasts, thy own Mpssiah reigns ! 



lOB Beauties of Primitive Christianity, er^ 

SECTION IV. 

T7ie Creation required to praise its Author. 

Begin, my soul, th' exalted lay t 
Let each enraptur'd thought obey. 

And praise th' Almighty's name : 
Lo ! heaven and earth, and seas, and skies, 
In one melodious concert rise, 

To swell th* inspiring theme. 



■') 



Ye fields of light, celestial plains, 
Where gay transporting beauty reigns, 

Ye scenes divinely foir! 
Your Maker's wond'rous powV proclaim 
Tell how he formM your shining frame, 

And hreath'd the fluid air. 

5. Ye angels, catch the thrilling sound I 
While all th' adorning thrones around. 

His boundless mercy sing • 
Let ev'ry listening saint above, 
Wake all the tuneful soul of love, 
And touch the aweetest string. 

4. Join, ye loud spheres, the vocal choir ; 
Thou dazzling orb of liquid fire, 

The mighty cbarus aid r 
Soon as gray ev'ning gilds the plain. 
Thou, moon, protract the melting strain. 

And praise him in the shade. 

5. Thou heav'n of heav'ns, his vast abode ; 
Ye clouds ; proclaim your forming God, 

Who call d yon worlds from night i 
'• Ye shades dispel I' — th' Eternal said : 
At once th' involving darkness fled, 

And nature sprung to light* 

?ir Whatever a blooming world contains, 
That wings the air. that skims the plains. 

United praise bestow : 
Ye dragons, sound his awful name 
To heav'n aloud ; and roar acclaim. 
Ye swelling deeps below. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 209 

7. Let ev'ry element rejoice ; 

Ye thunders burst with awful voice, 

To HIM who bids you roll ; 
His praise in softer notes declare, 
Each whispering breeze of yielding air, 

And breathe it to the soul. 

8. To him, ye grateful cedars, bow ; 
Ye tow'ring mountains, bending low. 

Your great Creator own ; 
Tell, when affrighted nature shook. 
How Sinai kindled at his look, 

And trembled at his frown. 

9. Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale, 
Ye insects fluttering on the gale, ' 

In mutual concourse rise ; 
Crop the gay rose's vermeil bloom, 
And waft its spoils, a sweet perfume, 

Jn incense to the s'c;ies. 

10. Wake all ye mounting tribes, and sing ; 
Ye plumy warblers of the spring, 

Harmonious anthems raise 
To HIM who shapM your finer mould, 
Who tipp'd your glittVing wings with gold, 
And tun'd your voice to praise. 

{}. Let man, by nobler passions sway'd, 
The feeling Jaeart, the judging head, 

In heav'nly praise employ ; 
Spread his tremendous name around. 
Till heav'n's broad arch rings back the souacl^ 
The general burst of joy. 

j2. Ye whom the charms of grandeur please, 
Nurs'd on the downy lap of ease. 

Fall prostrate at his throne : 
Ye princes, rulers, all adore ; 
Praise him, ye kings, who makes your powV 

An image of his own. 

J. Ye fair, by nature form'd to move, 
praise th' eternal source of i.ovf., 
18* 



"^^10 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ otr j 

With youth's enliv'ning fire : 
Let age take up the tuneful lay, 
Sigh his bless'd name — then soar away. 

And ask an angel's lyre. 



SECTION V. 



A paraphrase on the latter part of the 6th chapter ef Sf^ 
Matthew. 

1. When my breast labours with oppressiFe care. 
And o'er my cheek descends the falling tear ; 
While all my warring passions are at strife^ 
Oh ! let me listen to the words of life ! 
Raptures deep-felt his doctrine did impart, 
And thus he rais'd from earth the drooping heart, 

'^. ' Think not, when all your scanty stores afford, 
Is spread at once upcD the sparing board ; 
Think not, when worn the homely robe appears. 
While on the roof the howling tempest bears ; 
What farther shall this feeble life sustain, 
And what shall clothe these shiv'ring limbs again. 

.3. Say, does not life its nourishment exceed ? 
And the fur body , its investing weed ? 
Behold ! and look away your low despair — 
See the light tenants of the barren air : 
To them, nor stores nor granaries, belong • 
Nought, but the woodland, and the pleasing song ;: 
Yet, your kind heav'nly Father bends his eye 
On the least wing that flits along the sky. 

4. To him they sing when spring renews the plain : 
To him they cry, in winter's pinching reign ; 
Nor is their music, nor their plaint in vain : 
He hears the gay, and the distressful call ; 
And with unsparing bounty, fills them all.' 

r>. ' Observe the rising lily's snowy grace ; 
Observe the various vegetable race : 
They neither toil, nor spin, but careless grow ; 
Yet see how warm they blush !.how bright they glow : 
What regal vestments can with them compare I 
What king so shining I or what queen so fair 1* 



Tlie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 2 1 1 

' If ceaseless, thus, the fowls ofheav'n he feeda; 
If o'er the fields such lucid robes he spreads ; 
Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say ? 
Is he unwise ? or, are ye less than they ?' 



SECTION VL 

GLOOM OF AUTUMN. 

Hail, ye sighing sons of sorrow, 

View with me the Autumnal gloom ; 
Learn from thence your fate to-morrow. 

Dead, perhaps, laid in the tomb : 
See all nature fading, dying. 

Silent all things seem to mourn \ 
Life from vegetation flying, 

Brings to mind the mould'ring urn. 

Oft the Autumn's tempest rising, 

Makes the lofty forest nod ; 
Scenes of nature, how surprising, 

Read in nature nature's God — - 
See our Sovereign sole Creator, 

Lives eternal in the sky, 
While we mortals yield to nature, 

Bloom awhile, then fade and die. 

Nations die by dread Bellona, 

Tho' enrag'd tyrannic kings ; 
Just like plants in pale Pomona, 

Fall to rise in future springs. 
Mournful scenes when vegetation ^ 

Dies by frost, or worms devour ; 
Doubly mournful when a nation, 

Dies by neighboring nation's power. 

Death and war my mind depresses ; 

Autumn shows me my decay — 
Calls to mind my past distresses, 

Warns me of my dying day — 
Autumn gives me melancholy, 

Strikes dejection thro' my soul — 
While I mourn my former folly, 

Waves of sorrow o'er me roll. 



^12 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

Lo ! I hear the air resounding, 

With expiring insects' cries : 
Ah I their moans, to me how wounding, 

Emblem of my wretched sighs, 
Hollow winds about are roaring. 

Noisy waters round me rise — 
While I sit my fate deploring, 

Tears fast streaming from mine eyes> 

What to me are Autumn's treasures. 

Since I know no earthly joy 

Long I've lost all youthful pleasures 

Time must youth and health destroy, 
Pleasures once I fondly courted, 

Shar'd each bliss that youth bestows • 
But to see where once I sported, 

Now embitters all my woes. 

Age and sorrow since have blasted, 

Ev'ry youthful pleasing dream — 
Q,uivering age with youth contrasted, 

Oh ! how short their glories seem ^, 
As the annual frosts are cropping, 

Leaves and tendrils from the trees ; 
So my friends are yearly dropping, 

Thro' old age and dire disease. 

Former friends, O how IVe sought 'era, 

Just to cheer my drooping mind — 
But they're gone like leaves in Autumn^ 

Driv'n before the dreary wind. 
When a few more years are wasted, 

When a few more springs are o'er— 
When a few more griefs I've tasted; 

I shall fall to rise no more. 

Fast my sun of life's declining, 

Soon will set in endless night ; 
But my hopes, pure and refining, 

Rest in future life and light ; 
Cease this fearing, trembling, sighing^ 

Death will break the sullen gloom j 
Soon my spirit fluttering, flying. 

Must be borne beyond the iomb. 



The Auxiliary and Supj^lementary Guide. 2Ir^ 

SECTION VIL 

TIME. 

While Time's enormous scythe, with ample sweep, 
Strike's empires from the root ; death constant plavr 
His little weapon in the narrow sphere 
Of sweet domestic comfort, and cuts down 
The fairest bloom of sublunary bliss. 

' Mov'd by a strange, mysterious pow'r ; 
Who hastes along the rapid hour, 

I touch the deep-ton'd string : 
Ev'nnow I see his withered face, 
Beneath yon tower's mouldering base. 

Where mossy vestments cling. 
Dark roll'd his cheerless eye around; 
Severe his grisly visage frown'd, 

No locks his head array'd ; 
He grasp'd the hero's antique bust. 
The marble crumbled into dust, 

And sunk amidst the shade I 
Malignant triumph tiU'd his eyes ; 

• See, hapless mortals, see,' he cries, 

* How vain your idle schemes ; 

• Beneath my grasp the fairest form 

' Dissolves, and mingles with the worm ; 

* Thus vanish mortal dreams. 

• The works of God and man I spoil ; 
» The noblest proofs of human toil 

' I treat as childish toys ; 
- 1 crush the noble and the brave ; 
' Beauty 1 mar ; and in the grave 

' I bury human joys.' 
Hold 1 Ruthless phantom — Hold, I cry'd, 
If thou canst mock the dreams of pride, 

And meaner hopes devour, 
Virtue, beyond thy reach, shall bloom, 
When other charms sink to the tomb. 

Sh^ scorns thy envious power. 
On frosty wings the demon fled, 
Howling, as o'er the walls he sped,. 

* Another year has gone !' 



214 Beauties of Primitive Christianity , or, 

The ruin'd spire — the crumbling tower. 
Nodding, obey'd his awful power, 

As Time flew swiftly on. 
Since beauty, then, to Time must bow, 
And age deform the fairest brow. 

Let brighter charms be yours ; 
The virtuous mind, embalm'd in truth, 
Shall bloom in everlasting youth, 

While Time, himself, endures.' 



SECTION VIII. 

THE ORDER OF NATURE. 

See through this air, this ocean, and this earth. 
All matter quick, and bursting into birth ; 
Above, how high progressive life may go ! 
Around, how wide ! how deep extend below ! 
Vast chain of Being I which from God began, 
Nature's ethereal, human, angel, man ; 
Beast, bird, fish, insect, which no eye can see, 
No glass can reach ; from Infinite to thee. 
From thee to nothing. — On superior powers 
Were we to press, inferior might on ours ; 
Or in the full creation leave a void. 
Where, one step broken, the great scale's destroyed. 
From Nature's chain whatever link you strike, 
Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike. 

And, if each system in gradation roll, 
Alike essential to the amazing Whole, 
The least confusion but in one, not all 
That system only, but the whole must fall. 
Let earth, unbalanc'd, from her orbit fly, 
Planets and suns rush lawless thro' the sky ; 
Let ruling Angels from their spheres be hurl'd 
Being on being wreck'd, and world on world ; 
Heaven's whole foundations to the centre nod, 
And nature tremble to the throne of God. 
All this dread Order brake — for whom ? for thee, 
Vile worm ? — oh Madness ! Pride I Impiety I 

What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, 
Or hand, to toil, aspir'd to be the head ? 
What if the head, the eye, or ear repin'd 
To serve mere engines to the ruling Mind ? 



Mr A. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 2\b 

Just as absurd for any part to claim 
To be another in this gen'ral frame : 
Just as absurd, to mourn the tasks or pains. 
The great directing mind of all ordains. 

All are but parts of one stupendous whole. 
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul : 
That changed thro' all, and yet in all the same. 
Great in the earth as in the ethereal frame, 
Warms in the J^un, refreshes in the breeze, 
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees, 
Lives through all life, extends through all extent> 
Spreads undivided, operates unspent ; 
Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part. 
As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart ; 
As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns, 
As the rapt Seraph that adores and burns : 
To him no high, no low, no great, no small ; 
He fills, he bounds, connects and equals all. 

All Nature is but Art, unknown to thee ; 
All Chance. Direction, which thou canst not see ; 
All Discord, Harmony not understood ; 
All partial Evil, universal Good ; 
In the works of God's Creation and Providence. 



SECTION IX. 
SELF LOVE, 



Look round the world ; behold the chain of lore 
Combining all below and all above. 
See plastic nature working to this end, 
The single atoms each to other tend. 
Attract, attracted to, the next in place 
Form'd and impell'd its neighbor to embrace. 
See matter next, with various life endu'd, 
Press to one centre still, the gen'ral good. 
See dying vegetables life sustain. 
See life dissolving, vegetate again : 
All forms that perish, other forms supply. 
By turns we catch the vital breath, and die : 
Like bubbles on the sea of matter borne, 
They rise, they break, and to that sea return. 
Nothing is foreign ; parts relate to whole : 
One all extending, all preserving soul 



^16 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or. 

Connects each being, greatest with the least ; 
Made beast in aid of man, and man for beast ; 
All serv'd, all serving. Nothing stands alone ; 
The chain holds on, and where it ends, unknown. 

Has God, my friend ! work'd solely for thy good. 
Thy joy, thy pastime, thy attire, thy food ! 
Who for thy table feeds the wanton fawn, 
For him as kindly spreads the flow'ry lawn. 
Is it for thee the lark ascends and sings ? 
Joy tunes his voice, joy elevates his wings. 
Is it for thee the linnet pours his throat ? 
Loves of his own, and raptures swell the note. 
The bounding steed you pompously bestride, 
Shares with his lord the pleasure and the pride. 
Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain ? 
The birds of heav'n shall vindicate their grain. 
Thine the full harvest of the golden year ? 
Part pays, and justly, the deserving steer. 
The hog that ploughs not, nor obeys thy call, 
Lives on the labours of this Lord of all. 

Know nature's children, shall divide her care ; 
The fur that warms a monarch, warm'd a bear. 
While man exclaims, * See all things for my use I' 
^ See man for mine,' replies a pamper'd goose ; 
And just as short of reason he must fall, 
W^ho thinks all made for one, not one for all. 

Grant that the powVful still the weak control ; 
Be man the wit and tyrant of the whole : 
Nature that tyrant checks ; He only knows. 
And helps another creature's wants and woes, 
Say, will the falcon, stooping from above, 
Smit with her varying plumage, spare the dove ? 
Admires the jay, the insect's gilded wings ? 
Or hears the hawk when Philomela sings ? 
Man cares for all : To birds he gives his woods. 
To beasts his pastures, and to fish his floods ; 
For some his int'rest prompts him to provide, 
For more his pleasure, yet for more his pride : 
All feed on one vain patron and enjoy 
Th' extensive blessing of his luxury ; 
That very Hfe his learned hunger craves, 
He saves from famine, from the savage saves ; 




The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 2 1 1 

Nay, feasts the animal he dooms his feast, 
And, till he ends the being, makes it blest ; 
Which sees no more the stroke, nor feels the pah). 
Than faror'd man by touch ethereal slain. 
The creature had its feast of life before ; 
Thou too must perish, when thy feast is o'er. 

God, in the nature of each being, founds 
Its proper bliss, and sets its proper bounds : 
But as he fram'd a whole, the whole to bless. 
On mutual wants built mutual happiness : 
Remember, man ! the Universal Cause, 
Acts not by partial, but by gen'ral laws ; 
And makes what happiness we justly caU, 
Subsist not in the good of one, but all. 
So from the first eternal order ran. 
And creature link'd to creature, man to man* 
Whatever of life all quick'ning ether keeps, 
Or breathes thro' air, or shoots beneath the deep.'. 
Or pours profuse on earth, one nature feeds 
The vital flame, and swells the genial seeds. 
Not man alone, but all that roam the wood, 
Or wing the sky, or roll along the flood. 
Each loves itself, but not itself alone. 
Each sex desires alike, 'lill two are one. 
Nor ends the pleasure with the fierce embrace, 
They love themselves a third time in their race. 
Thus beast and bird their common charge attend. 
The mothers nurse it, and the sires defend ; 
The young dismissed to wander earth or air, 
There stops the instinct, and there ends the carCr 
The link dissolves, each seeks a fresh embrace. 
Another love succeeds, another race, 
A longer care man's helpless kind demands ; 
That longer care contracts more lasting bands. 
Reflection, reason, still the ties improve, 
At once extend the int'rest and the love : 
With choice we fix, with sympathy we burn ; 
Each virtue in each passion takes its turn ; 
And still new needs, new helps, new habits rise, 
That graft benevolence on charities. 
Still as one brood, and as another rose. 
These nat'ral love maintained, habitual those ; 

19 



il8 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, en 

The last, scarce ripen'd into perfect man, 
Saw helpless him from whom their life began : 
Mem'ry and forecast jnst returns engage, 
That pointed back to youth, this on to age ; 
While pleasure, gratitude and hope combined, 
Still spread the interest and preserved the kind. 

Nor think, in J\^atu7'e^s state they blindly trod : 
The state of nature was the reign of God : 
Self-love and social at her birth began, 
Union the bond of all things, and of man. 
Pride then was not ; nor arts, that pride to aid : 
Man walk'd with beast joint tenant of the shade : 
The same his table and the same his bed ; 
No murder cloth'd him, and no murder fed. 
In the same temple, the resounding wood, 
All vocal beings hymn'd their equal God : 
The shrine with gore unstain'd, with gold undrest. 
Unbrib'd, unbloody stood the blameless priest : 
Heav'n's attribute was universal care, 
And man's prerogative, to rule, but spare. 
Ah [ how unlike the man of times to come ! 
Of half that live the butcher and the tomb : 
Who, foe to nature, hears the gen'ral groan. 
Murders their species, and betrays his own. 
But just disease to luxury succeeds. 
And every death its own avenger breeds ; 
The fury passions from that blood began, 
And turn'd on man a fiercer savage, man. 

Who first taught souls enslav'd, and realms undone, 
Th" enormous fAih of many made for one ; - 
That proud exception to all nature s laws, 
T' invert the world, and counter-work its cause ? 
Force first made conquest, and that conquest, law ; 
Till superstition taught the tyrant awe, 
Then shar'd the tyranny, then lent it aid. 
And Gods of conq'rors, slaves of subjects made. 

So drive self-love^ though just, and though unjust 
To one man's pow'r, ambition, lucre, lust : 
The same self-love in all becomes the cause 
Of what restrains him, government and laws. 
For what one likes, if others like as well, 



'The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 

What serves one will, when many wills rebel ? 
How shall he keep, what, sleeping or awake, 
A weaker may surprise, a stronger take ? 
His safety must his liberty restrain ; 
All join to guard what each desires to gain. 
Forc'd into virtue thus, by self-defence, 
E'en kings learn'd justice and benevolence : 
Seif-love forsook the path at first pursu'd, 
And found the private in the public good. 

For forms of government let fools contest ; 
Whatever is best administerM is best : 
For modes of faith, let graceless zealots fight ; 
His can't be wrong whose life is in the right : 
In faith and hope the world will disagree, 
But all mankind^s concern is charity : 
All must be false that thwart this one great end ; 
And all of God, that bless mankind or mend. 
Man, like the gen'rous vine, supported lives ; 
The strength he gains is from th' embrace he gives. 
On their own axis as the planets run. 
Yet make at once their circle round the sun : 
So two consistent motions act the soul ; 
And one regards itself, and one the whole. 

Thus God and nature link'd the gen'ral frame : 
And bade self-love and social be the same. 



SECTION X. 

REASON'S COxMPARlNG BALANCE. 

Say, first, of God above, or Man below, 
What can we reason, but from what we know 
Of man, what see we but his station here, 
Prom which to reason, or to which refer ? 
Through worlds unnumbered, though the God be known, 
'Tis ours to trace him only in our own. 
He, who through vast immensity can pierce, 
See worlds on worlds compose one universe, 
Observe how system into system runs, 
What other planets circle other suns, 



220 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or* 

What vari'd beings people every star, 
May tell why heaven has made us as we are. 
But of this frame, the bearings and the ties, 
The strong connections, nice dependencies, 
Gradations just, has thy pervading soul 
Look'd thro', or can a part contain the whole ? 

is the great chain that draws all to agree, 
And drawn supports, upheld by God, or thee ? 

Presumptuous man ! the reason would'st thou find^ 
Why form'd so weak, so little, and so blind ? 
First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess ? 
Why form'd no weaker, blinder, and no less ? 
Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks are made 
Taller or stronger than the weeds they shade ? 
Or ask of yonder argent fields above, 
Why Jove's satellites are less than Jove ? 

Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of fate ^ 
All ,but the page prescrib'd, their present state, 
From brutes what men, from men what spirits know. 
Or who would suffer being here below ? 
The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to day, 
Had he thy reason would he skip and play ! 
Pleas'd to the last, he crops the flow'ry food, 
x\nd licks the hand just rais'd to shed his blood. 
Oh blindness to the future ! kindly giv'n. 
That each may fill the circle mark'd by Heav'n, 
Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, 
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, 
Atoms, or systems, into ruin hurl'd, 
And now a bubble bursts, and now a world ! 

Hope humbly then, vWth trembling pinions, soar • 
Wait the great teacher, Death, and God adore \ 
What future bliss he gives not thee to know, 
But gives that hope to be thy blessing now. 
Hope springs eternal in the human breast ; 
Man sometimes is, but always to be blest ; 
The soul uneasy, and confin'd at home, 
Rests, and expatiates, in a life to come. 

Lo ! the poor Indian, whose untutored mind 
Sees God in clouds^ ox hqars hinx in the wind ; 



The Auxiliary aitd Supplementary Guide* 22 1 

His soul proud science never taught to stray 

Far as the solar walk, or milky way ; 

Yet simple n;?»tu re to his hope has giv'n 

Behind the cloud-top hill, an humbler heav'n, 

Some safer world, in depth of woods embraced, 

Some happier island in the wat'ry waste, 

Where slaves once more their native land behold, 

No fiends torment, no Christians thirst for gold. 

To be content 's his natural desire, 

He asks no angel's wing or seraph's fire, 

But thinks, admitted to that equal sky. 

His faithful dog shall bear him company. 

Go, wiser thou ! and in thy scale of sense 

Weigh th}^ opinion against Providence : 

Call imperfecti )o whattho^i ittnci st such. 

Say, here he gi /» s too little, there too much ; 

Destroy all cie;v!.ires for thy sport or gust. 

Yet cry, if man's (johappy, God's unjust ; 

if man alone engross not heav'n's high care, 

Alone made perfer i here, imLaortai there ; 

Snatch from his h; s-vthe balance pnd the rod, 

Rejudge his justire, be the God oi God ! 

In reasoning pride, ny friend, our error lies ; 
All quit their sphere, tnd rush into the skies. 
Pride still is aiming r.t the blest abodes, 
Men would be angek, angek would be gods. 
Aspiring to be gods, if .aigels tell, 
Aspiring to be angels, men rebel ; 
And who but wishes to invert the laws 
Of order ^ sins against th' Eternal Cause. 

What would this man ? Now upward will he soar 
A little less than angel, would be more ; 
Now looking downward, just cS griev'd appears 
To want the strength of halls, the fi.r of bears, 
Made for his use, all creanires if he call, 
Say what their use, had he the povv'rs of all ? 
Nature to these, without profusion kind, 
The proper organs, proper pow'rs assigned ; 
Each seeming want compensated of course, 
Here, with degrees of swiftness, there, of force ; 
All in exact proportion to the state, 
Nothing to add, and nothing to abate. 

19* 



^ 



iJ22 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or. 

Each beast, each insect, happy in its own, 
Is Heav'n unkind to man, hdcI man alone ? 
Shall he alone, whom rational we call, 
Be pleas'd with nothing, if not bless'd with all '' 

Better for us, perhaps it might appear, 
Were there all harmony, aii virtue here ; 
That never air or ocean felt ine vnvi{\ ; 
That never passion uiscompo 'd the mind, 
But all subsists by elemental strife ; 
"And passions are the elements of life. 
The gen'ral order since the whole began, 
Is kept in nature, and is kept in n*an. 

Far as creation's ample range extends, 
The scale of sensual, mental, pow'rs ascends ; 
Mark how it mounts to man's imperi d race 
From the green myri-uds in the peor»ed grass ? 
What modes of bight, betwixt e^ch wide extreme. 
The mole's dim curtain and the lynj s beam : 
Of smell, the headlong lioness between. 
And hound sagacious on vhe tainted green : 
Of hearing, from the life That fills the flood. 
To that which w.nbles through the vernal wood* 
The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine, 
Feels at each thread, anu lives along the line : 
In the nice bee, what sen-''^ go subtly true 
From pois'nous herbs extr cts the healing dew. 
How instinc! varies in the groveling swine, 
Compar'd, half-reas'ning elephant ! with thine : 
'Twixt that, and reason, what a nice barrier, 
For ever sep'rdte, yet tor ever near I 
Remembrance and reflection how .41i'd ; 
What thin partitions sense from thought divide -; 
And middle natures how they long to join. 
Yet never pass th' insuperable fine ! 
Without this ju>t gradation could they be 
Subjected these to those, or ail to thee ? 
The pow rs of all subdu'd by thee alone, 
Is not thy reason all these pow'rs in one ? 

Love, hope and joy, fair pleasure's smiling train. 
Hate, fe ^r, a. id grief, the family of pain, 
These nax'd with art, and to due bounds confin^d^ 
Make anu maintain, the balance of the mind : 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 

The lights and shades, whose well accorded strife 
Gives all the strength and colour of o'lr life. 
See some strange comfort ev'ry state attend, 
Content, to all men, is one common friend. 

Whatever the passion, knowledge, fame or pelf. 
Not one will change his neighbour with himself: 
The learn'd is hnppy, nature to explore ; 
The fool is happy that he knows no more ; 
The rich is happy in the plenty giv n ; 
The poor contents him with the care of Heaven : 
See the blind beggar dance, the cripple sing, 
The sot a hero, lunatic a king ; 
The starving chymist in his golden views 
Supremely blest, the poet in his muse. 

A wit's a feather, and a chief's a rod. 
An honest man 's the noblest work of God. 



SECTION XL 

TENDER CONVERSATION BETWEEN ADAM AND ZVIC, 

Now morn, her rosy steps in th' eastern clime 
Advancing, sowd the earth with orient pearl, 
When Adam wak'd : so 'custom'd ; for his sleep 
Was airy, light, from pure digestion bred. 
And temp'rate Vrjpours bland, which th' only sound 
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora s fan. 
Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song 
Of birds on every bough ; so much the more 
His wonder w^as to lind unwaken'd Eve 
With tresses discoaipos'd, and glowing cheek, 
As through unquiet rest : he, on his side 
Leaning, half rais'd, with looks of cordial love. 
Hung over her enamourd, and beheld 
Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep. 
Shot forth peculiar graces ; then with voice 
Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes. 
Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus, * Awake^, 
My fairest, my espoused, my latest found, 
Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight. 
Awake : the morning shines, and the fresh field 



^24 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

Calls us ; we lose the prime, to mark how spring 
Our tended plants, how hlows the citron grove. 
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, 
How nature paints her colours, how the bee 
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.* 

Such whisp'ring wak'd her, but with startled eye 
On Adam ; whom embracing thus she spake. 
' O sole, in whom my thoughts find all repose, 
My glory, my perfection, glad 1 see 
Thy face, and morn returned ; for I this night 
(Such night till this 1 never pass'd) have dream'd. 
If dream'd, not, as I oft have wont, of thee, 
Works of day past, or morrow's next design : 
But of offence and trouble, which my mind 
Knew never till this irksome night; methought, 
Close at mine ear, one calPd me forth to walk 
With gentle voice ; I thought it thine ; it said, 
Why sleep's! thou. Eve ? now is the pleasant time. 
The cool, the silent, save where silence yields 
To the night warbling bird, that now awake 
Tunes sweetest his love-laboured song ; now reigns 
Full orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light 
Shadowy sets off the face of things ; in vain, 
If none regard : heaven wakes with all his eyes. 
Whom to behold but thee, nature's desire ? 
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment 
Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. 
I rose at thy call, but found thee not ; 
To find thee I directed then my walk ; 
And on, methought, alone I pass'd, through ways 
That brought me on a sudden to the tree 
Of interdicted knowledge : fair it seem'd, 
Much fairer to my fancy than by day ; 
And as I wandering look'd, beside it stood 
One shap'd and wing'd like one of those from heaven. 
By us oft seen ; his dewy locks distill'd 
Ambrosia ; on that tree he also gaz'd ; 
And, O far plant, said he, with fruit surcharg'd, 
Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, 
Nor God, nor man ? Is knowledge so despis'd 
Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste ? — 
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold 
Longer thy offered good ; why else set here ? 
This said he paus'd not, but with vent'rous arm 



TJie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guidt* 2^5 

He pluck'd, he tasted ; me damp horror chillM 

At such bold words, vouch'd with a deed so bold. 

But he, thus overjoyed, O fruit divine, 

Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt. 

Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit 

For gods, yet able to make gods of men ; 

And why not gods of men, since good, the more- 

Communicated, more abundant grows, 

The author not impaired, but honour'd more ? 

Here, happy creature, fair, angelic Eve, 

Partake thou also ; happy though thou art, 

Happier thou maystbe, worthier canst not be ; 

Taste this and be, henceforth, among the gods, 

Thyself a goddess, not to earth contin'd, 

But sometimes in the air, as we sometimes 

Ascend to heaven by merit thine, and see 

What life the gods live there, and such live thou. 

So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held, 

E'en to my mouth, of that fruit held part 

Which he had pluck 'd ; the pleasant savoury smell 

So quickened appetite, that I, methought, 

Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds 

With him 1 flew, and underneath beheld 

The earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide 

And various : wond'ring at my flight and change 

To this high exaltation ; suddenly 

My guide was gone, and I, methought, sunk dowD> 

And fell asleep ; but oh ! how glad I wak'd 

To find this but a dream.' 



SECTION XII. 

eve's address to paradise when expelled FR#M Vl\ 

Oh unexpected change, worse than of death ! 
Must 1 thus leave thee, Paradise ! thus leave 
Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades, 
Fit haunt of Gods ! where I had hoped to spend> 
Q,uiet, though sad, the respite of that day 
That must be mortal to us both ? O flowers, 
That never will in other climates grow, 
My early visitations, and my last 



226 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or. 

At even, which 1 bred up with tender hand 
From the first op'ning bud, and gave ye names, 
Who now shall raise ye to the sun, or rank 
Your tribes, and water from th' ambrosial fount ? 
Thee lastly, nuptial bower, by me adorn'd 
With what to sight or smell was sweet, from thee 
How shall I part, and whether winder down 
Into a lower world, to this obscure 
And wild ? how shall we breathe m other air 
Less pure, accustom'd to immortal fruits ? 



SECTION XIIL 

VIRTUE AND LASTING HAPPINESS ARE INSEPARABLE. 

Know then this truth, (enough for man to know,) 

Virtue alone is happiness belov^ : 

The only point where human bliss stands still j 

And tastes the good without the fall to ill ; 

Where only merit constant pay receives, 

Is blessM in what it takes, and what it gives ; 

The joy unequaird, if its end it gain, 

And if it lose, attended with no pain : 

Without satiety, though e'er so bless'd ; 

And but more relish'd as the more distress'd ; 

The broadest mirth unfeeling folly wears, 

Less pleasing for than virtue's very tears : 

Good, from each object, from each place acquired ; 

For ever exercis'd, yet never tir'd ; 

Never elated while one man's oppressed ; 

Never dejected, while another's bless'd : 

And where no wants, no wishes can remain : 

Since but to wish more virtue is to gain. — 

For him alone hope leads from goal to goal, 

And opens still," and opens on his soul ; 

Till lengthened on to faith, and unconfin'd, 

It pours the bliss that fills up all the mind. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 227 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

AN ADDRESS TO MAY, IN THE STYLE OF RURAL POETRY. 

Arrayed in thy green robe and flowery mantle, thy loose 
tresses waving in the breeze, and thy beaming brow 
crowned with ethereal garlands, descend, O May, and bless 
our plains ! Sweet mother of the rose, descend ! I see thee 
9pproach in all thy charms, and love and beauty sport in 
thy train. The graces too, are there. What fairy pro- 
spects rise around ! Aurora, half concealed on a purple 
cloud, comes blushing from the east to welcome thee. The 
birds spread their little bosoms to the sun, and sing in thy 
season ; the lark salutes thee from her airy cloud, and, 
anon, the mournful nightingale from her evening poplar. 
- The flowers open their dewy bosoms to ofl'er thee in- 
cense. The wanton zephyrs hail thy gay approach ; while, 
over hills and dales, through woods and groves, they sport, 
delighting to fan the lovers under the shade of the myrtle, 
while they sit to tell their mutual tale. 

The fawn starts from his grot at thy approach ; the wood 
nymph rises from her bed of roses, and forgets her dreams. 
The satyrs shake their shaggy sides, skipping from bank to 
bank, and tune their shrill pipes to the song. 

Again the fountains gurgle from their secret caves ; 
sometimes delighting to murmur in rude desert courses, 
they unite above the lofty rocks, and form the loud cas- 
cade ; sometimes meandering from glade to glade, from 
thicket to thicket, they steal into the centre of a secret 
green, and form the peaceful lake. Come, gentle May, 
and with thy buxom train, trip it nimbly o'er our plains. 

Already the sturdy bullock loiters near the sides of the 
fountain ; the lamb frisks nimbly o'er the nodding field 
flower ; and the goat, waving his shaggy beard, mounts on 
the aged elm, or -limbs the shelving rock. Welcome, 
sweet May, to our plains! Welcome to my humble cot 
and my arched bower. This spot shall be sacred to thee. 
The rose-tree shall rise around my elm ; and the scam- 
mony shall creep close to its stem. The piony and the lily 
shall unite their sweets ! and the pink shall leave its ver- 
dant bed, and throw its perfumes around thee. Thou, too, 
O sweet violet, emblem of wisdom ; who, blushing, humbly 
boldest down thy head, breathing perfumes among couimon 
plants, while blossoms less sweet erect their haughty heads 
on high ; thou, too, shalt leave thy native bed, and lavish 
thy sweet breath on her shrine. 



Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ ar, 

CHAPTER XL. 

The Afostle Paul's noble defence before Festus and 
Agrippa. 

1. Agrippa said unto Paul, thou art permitted to speak 
for thyself. — Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and an- 
swered for himself I think myself happy, king Agrippa, 
because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, 
touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews : 
Especially, as I know thee to be expert in all customs and 
questions which are among the Jews. Wherefore I be- 
seech thee to hear me patiently. 

2. My manner of hie from my youth, which was at the 
first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews ; 
who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify,} 
that after the straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. 
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise 
made of God to our fathers ; to which promise, our twelve 
tribes, continually serving God day and night, hope to come : 
and for this hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the 
Jews. 

3. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, 
that God should raise the dead ? 1 verily thought with my- 
self, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name 
of Jesus of Nazereth : and this 1 did in Jerusalem. Many 
of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority 
from the chief priests : and when they were put to death, 
I gave my voice against them. And I often punished them 
in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme ; 
and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted 
them even unto strange cities. 

4. But as I went to Damascus, with authority and com- 
mission from the high priests, at mid-day, O king I I saw 
in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the 
sun, shining round about me, and them who joarneyed with 
me. And when we were all fdlen to the earth, 1 heard a 
Toice speaking to me and saying, in the Hebrew tongue, 
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? It is hard for thee to 
kick against the pricks, [to go contrary to the dictates of 
conscience.] And I said, who art thou, Lord ? Aad he . 
said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

5. But rise, and stand upon thy feet ; for I have appear- 
ed to thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister, and a 
witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of 



The Auxiliary and Supplemmitary Guide. £29 

those things in the which I will appear to thee ; delivering 
thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I 
now send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from 
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God ; 
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance 
among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

6. Whereupon, O king Agrippa I I was not disobedient 
to the heavenly vision ; but showed first to them of Damas« 
eus, and at Jerusalem, and through all the coasts of Judea, 
and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn 
to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these 
causes, the Jews caught me in the temple ; and went about 
to kill me. Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I 
continue, to this day, witnessing both to small and great, 
saying no other things than those which the prophets and 
Moses declared should come ; that Christ should sufi'er ; 
that he should be the first who should rise from the dead ; 
and that he should show light to the people, and to the 
Gentiles. 

7. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said, with a 
loud voice, '' Paul, thou art beside thyself ; much learning 
doth make thee mad." But he replied, 1 am not mad, most 
noble Festus ; but speak the words of truth and soberness. 
For the king knoweth these things, before whom I also 
speak freely. I am persuaded that none of these things are 
hidden from him ; for this thing was not done in a corner. 
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? I know that 
thou believest. "Then Agrippa said to Paul, " Almost thou 
persuadest me to be a Christian." And Paul replied, *' 1 
would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me 
this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, 
except these bonds.''* acts xxvi. 

^ How happy was this great Apostle, even in the most perilous circum* 
stances ! Though under bonds and oppression, his mind was free, and 
raised above every fear of man. With what dignity and composure does 
he defend himself, and the noble cause he had espoused ; whilst he dis- 
plays the most compassionate and generous feelings, for those who vrerf* 
strangers to the sublime religion by which he was animated ! 

20 



-30 Beauties of Priinitive Christianity^ er» 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Who are blessed^ and how to obtain eternal life. 

Who are blessed. And seeing the multitudes, he went 
up into a mountain : and when he was set his disciples 
came unto him : and he opened his mouth and taught them, 
saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit : for their's is the 
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn : for 
they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek : for they 
shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger 
and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled. 
Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shaU see God. 
Blessed are the peace makers : for they shall be called 
the children of God. Blessed are they which are perse- 
cuted for righteousness' sake : for their's is the kingdom 
of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, 
and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against 
you falsely for mj sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad : 
for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they 
the prophets which were before you. Matt. v. 1 — 12. 

HozQ) to obtain eternal life And behold, a certain law- 
yer stood up and tempted him, saying. Master, what shall 
I do to inherit eternal life ? He said unto him, what is writ- 
ten in the law ? how readest thou ? And he, answering, 
said. Thou shah love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with 
all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said 
unto him, Thou hast answered right : this do, and thou, 
shalt live. But he, willing' to justify himself, said unto 
Jesus, And who is my neighbour ? And Jesus answering, 
said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, 
anji fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, 
and w^ounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 

And by chance there came down a certain priest that 
way ; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other 
side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, 
cam« and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he 
was : and when he saw him he had compassion on him. 
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in 
oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 231 

hiTii to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, 
when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them 
to the host, and said unto him, take care of him ; and what- 
soever thou spendest more, when I come again 1 will re- 
pay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was 
neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves. And he 
said. He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus 
unto him. Go and do thou likewise. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

AN ORATION ON KNOWLEDGE. 

Be it our pleasing task to recommend to our youth the 
advantage of knowledge. Whatever may be their destina- 
tion in life, this pursuit enlarges the sphere of innocent 
enjoyment, and is a sovereign antidote to that baneful av- 
arice whi^h strips man of the exalted title of a rational 
being. 

To educate children in the best improvements and no- 
blest virtues of our time, is to perform a duty the most 
sacred to society and to its Parent. If, as reason hopes, 
and human infirmity daily petitions, He who called man 
into being is interested in his welfare, no measure can 
more propitiate his favour than the improvement of his 
creation, if one idea can predominate over another in 
the divine economy, it is reasonable to believe that it 
must be the desire of our moral and intellectual progres- 
sion. Whoever leaves his offspring more refined and more 
virtuous than himself, accelerates this flivourite scheme of 
Supreme Goodness, and has a just claim to the gratitude of 
society. Vice and folly are always alive to injure that 
moral order which forms our truest happiness and most 
lasting interest It is to the rising generv^tion that society 
turns its anxious eye, and from their improvement earnest- 
ly demands that augmented felicity to which it continually 
aspires. On the general intelligence of the people much 
depends for the perpetuity of our liberties. Knowledge 
is the nurse of reason ; reason is the soul of that inter- 
nal liberty without which outward liberty is but a fugitive 
and transitory thing. It becomes us therefore, my fellow 
citizens, to cultivate that intellect which is the niost mag- 



232 Beauties of Primitive Chrisiianity^ or^ 

nificent attribute of our nature, and a gift emphatically 
worthy of heaven. Then indeed may we sit securely 
amidst our happy possessions, and smile at the united ef- 
forts of intrigue and violence. Then indeed will distant 
nations, inspired by our example, emulate that rational 
freedom which is the glorious birth-right of mankind. — - 
Then will those oppressive institutions, erected for the 
aggrandizement of few, the debasement of many, fall un- 
lamented to the earth, to rise no more. Then indeed the 
bell of vespers shall be muffled, the sackcloth fall from the 
shoulders of the monk, the face of the nun be unshadow- 
ed, and the bat build her nest amidst the desolate ruins of 
the convent. The owl shall hoot on the moss-mantled 
turrets of the castle, and the green turf flourish along the 
mouldering walls of the palace. The cannon shall never 
again greet the skies with its thunder, nor the bright beams 
of the sun frolic on the blazing arms of the hero I In the 
sublime language of prophetic inspiration, then indeed 
man " shall go out with joy, and be led forth zmth peace. 
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before him 
singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands,'^ 



CHAPTER XLIIL 

DILtGENCE IN YOUTH. 

Whoever harbours the wish of gaining the badge of vii- 
tue, must obey the dictates of Diligence. She is the pa- 
rent of health, and the handmaid of the sciences ; and she 
alone can point out the path to happiness and lasting ho- 
nour. 

Sloth is the rust and canker of the mind, but industry is 
the polisher of our existence, and establishes our happiness 
on a permanent basis Without industry we may possess 
riches, but cannot enjoy them. In vain do we possess the 
most eminent advantages, if destitute of application to im- 
prove them ; in vain are we enriched with the best abili- 
ties, if we want activity to exert them. For though the 
seeds of virtue be disseminated in the mind, they will ne- 
ver shoot forth without proper cultivation : even our ac- 
tions will remain in embryo, and life will be wasted in lan- 
guid exertions and idle uncertainty. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 233 

Youth is the seed time of life, the season of cultivation ; 
nor should it remain barren of improvement. In its bloom, 
those accomplishments should be cultivated which will ri- 
pen into a flourishing manhood and a respectable old age. 
It is in this season that the desire of distinction prevails, 
amd the anticipation of future greatness occupies the mind. 
But if pleasure relax the nerves of application, and leave 
the mind destitute of in^^truction while it is towering upon 
distant renown, like the field of the sluggard it will be lux- 
uriant in the growth of weeds, but productive of no useful 
fruit. ' For if the spring put forth no blossoms, in sum- 
mer there will be no beauty, in autumn no fruit ; so, if 
youth be trifled away without improvement, manhood will 
be contemptible, and old age miserable.' 

At this period of life, hope and emulation should ope- 
rate as powerful incentives to industry ; ^md every youth- 
ful bosom should glow with the love of virtue. But if, in- 
sensible to these incitements, the pulse of ambition beats 
only in theory, while dead to practice^ and we remain fro- 
zen to a statue of inactivity, what will rouse us when the 
chilling hand of time shall have indurated the heart, and 
extinguished those ardent and enlivening passions ? What 
more honourable employment is there for youth than the 
acquisition of knowledge ? What more hjudable than a 
thirst for literature ? It is a sure indication of a generous 
heart, a certain presage of future eminence. But unavail- 
ing will be every opportunity, palsied wdl be the arm of 
encouragement, without application ; for, like the clue of 
Ariadne, this guides us through the mazes of science to 
the summit of enjoyment and renown. 

' Fair is the bud this venial morn brings forth. 
And fostering gales awhile the nursling fan ; 
O smile, ye heavens serene ! ye mildews wan. 
Ye blighting whirlwinds, spare its balmy prime.' 

What exalted pleasure lills the bosom of the person, 
who, on reviewing the spring of life, finds that it has been 
employed in the improvement of his mind and the cultiva- 
tion of his talents — in preparations for usefuhiess, and in 
manly avocations. The seeds planted by his Creator have 
been cultivated, the privileges bestowed properly manag- 
ed, and though the public may not need his services, he 

20* 



234 Beauties of PrimitiveX!hristianity^ or^ 

has the unspeakable ' treasure which worlds want wealth 
to buy — the recollection of time well spent J 

' The morning hours of cheerful light 

Of all the day's are best : 
But as they speed their hasty flight. 
If every hour is spent aright, 
We sweetly sink to sleep at night, 

And pleasant is our rest. 

And life is like a summer's day, 

It seems so quickly past ; 
Youth is the morning bright and gay. 
And if 'tis spent in wisdom's way, 
We meet old age without dismay. 

And death is sweet at last/ 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

DESCRIPTION OF NIGHT. 

All things are hush'd as nature's self lay dead. 
The mountains seem to nod their drowsy head ; 
The little birds in dreams their songs repeat, 
And sleeping flowers beneath the night dew sweat.' 

How often have I heard the morning described by the 
poet and the philosopher, in all its glowing colours, and 
just reproaches hurled against those who lose its cheering 
influence and fascinating beauties in the arms of the som- 
nific deity ! That man is extolled as wise, who retires to 
rest with the setting, and arises with the orient sun. Bui 
night with all her glories, is neglected : and it should seem 
as if heaven had displayed the most awful, majestic, and 
brilliant part of the creation, as unworthy the praise or con- 
templation of man. The objects which now surround me, 
and the sensations which I enjoy, are sufficient to convince 
me, that every portion of the stupendous work has its pe- 
cuhar charms ; and particularly night, for subhmity and 
diversity of objects, affords food for the mind, best calculat- 
ed to impress it with just ideas of the Omnipotent, and dis- 
plays nature in a dress by no means inferior to that of day : 
so that, in my opinion, the man who regularly rises and 



Tlie Auxiliary and Supplemeiitdry Guide, 235 

retires with the sun, looses some of the fairest portion of 
his time, and most interesting beauties of creation. Let us 
occasionally, on pleasant evenings, take a walk abroad, to 
view the stairy firmament, and the wonderful works of 
God, while the evening shades have spread her mantle 
over the earth. 



CHAPTER XLV. 

THE WITHERED ROSE. 

* I have observed the vegetation of a rose-bud, in the 
mildness of summer progressively to advance, till it ap- 
peared in all the bloom of beauty — in all the lustre of ma- 
tui*e symmetry — the pride of the parterre, diffusing its 
balmy fragrance to every gentle gale. I beheld the spoil- 
er tear it from its parent tree. I have watered and nour- 
ished it with care. I havB tended it with solicitude, — = 
have seen it revive and its colours begin to brighten, when 
a rude touch has broken its tender stem, its beauties again 
withered, and the hopes of its revival were for ever dash- 
ed away — I sighed ! painful ide<is rushed upon my remem- 
brance ! 

' So droop'd the artless maid, 
Sweet flow'ret of the rural shade, 
By love's simplicity betray d. 

And guileless trust ; 
Till she, alas I forlorn is laid 

Low in the dusl V 



CHAPTER XLVL 

VIRTUOUS EDUGATION^. 

< Blessed is that nation, whose sons an(! daughters are 
trained to virtue, honour and usefulness ; whose schools 
are as broad rivers and streams. Yea, blessed is that peo- 
ple, whose daughters wear the robes of innocence, and 
whose young EHshas rise up in succession, and wear with 
dignity the mantles of their departed Elijads. If parents 



236 Beauties of Fnmuive Christiaidty ^ or^ 

wish to guard their children against an undue attention t© 
external ornaments, against extravagance in dress, and 
gaudy equipage, what better expedient will they find, than 
to replenish their minds with such a fund of useful know- 
ledge, as shall enable them suitably to contemn all worth- 
less things ; to discern where real merit lies, and what 
constitutes the dignity of their sex ? Then they will not 
easily be captivated with glittering trappings, trifling toys, 
and tasteless amusements, but extend their views to more 
noble objects. What greater hairier against vice of every 
kind than useful knowledge ? Is it not a melancholy truths 
that man t©o often prostitutes his boasted faculties, to the 
destruction of female happiness ? How necessary then to 
fortify their minds against the attacks of such vile sedu- 
cers ! Blemishes in female characters seldom are effaced. 
Not so with man, he tarnishes his uame, and brightens it 
again. But if woman chance to swerve from the strictest 
rules of virtue, 

* Ruin ensues, reproach and endless shame, 
And one false step for ever blasts her fame. 
In vain with tears, the loss she may deplore, 
In vain look back to what she was before, 
She sets hke stars that fall to rise n® more.' 



CHAPTER XL VII. 

True philosophy, or the secret of being always contented, 

' An Italian Bishop had struggled through great difficul- 
ties without repining, and met with much opposition in the 
discharge of his ministerial duty, without ever betraying 
the least impatience. An intimate friend of his, who high- 
ly admired those virtues, which he thought it impossible ta 
imitate, one day asked the Bishop, if he could communi- 
cate the secret of being always contented ? * Yes,' replied 
the old man, ' I can teach you my secret, and with great fa- 
cility ; it consists in nothing more than making a right use 
@f my eyes' 

His friend begged him to explain Iiimself. * Most will- 
ingly,' replied the Bishop : ' In what state I am, 1 first of 
all look up to heaven, and remember that my principal 
business herey is to get there. 1 then look down upon the 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Chiide^ 237 

earthj and call to mind, how small a space I shall occupy 
in it, when I am buried. I then look abroad into the world, 
and observe what multitudes there are, who are in all re- 
spects more unhappy than myself. Thus 1 learn where 
true happiness is placed, where all our cares must end, 
and how little reason 1 have to repine or complain,' 



CHAPTER XLVIIL 

THE SHORTNESS OF MAN'S LIFE. 

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of 
trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down : 
he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not. 

And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and 
bringesr me into judgment with thee ? Who can bring a 
clean thing out of an unclean ? not one. 

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his 
months are with thee ; thou hast appointed his bounds that 
he cannot pass ; turn from him, that he may rest, till he 
shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. 

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it 
will sprout again, and that the tender branch will not 
cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and 
the stock thereof die in the ground ; yet through the scent 
of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 

But man dieth, and wasteth away ; yea, man giveth up 
the ghost, and where is he ? As the waters fail from the 
sea, and the flood decayeth and dryeth up ; So man lieth 
down, and riseth not : till the heavens be no more, they 
shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 

If a man die, shall he live again ? all the days of my 
appointed time will I wait till my change come. Thou 
shalt call, and 1 will answer thee : thou wilt have a desire 
to the work of thine hands. — Job xiv. 1 — 12. 14, 15, 



•^38 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

The Office of Christ, the Restoration of the Jews, and the 
Blessedness of the Church, 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me ; because the 
Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the 
meek : he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, 
to proclaim Hberty to the captives, and the opening of the 
prison to them that are bound ; to proclaim the acceptable 
year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God ; 
to comfort all that mourn ; to appoint unto them that 
mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the 
oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit 
of heaviness : that they might be called trees of righteous- 
ness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up 
the former desolations, and the- shall repair the waste ci- 
ties, the desolations of many generations. And strangers 
shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien 
shall be your plowmen, and your vine dressers. 

But ye shall be n-rimed the Priests of the Lord : men 
shall call you the ministers of our God : ye shall eat the 
riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast 
yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double ; and 
tor confusion they shall rejoice in th^ir portion : there- 
fore in their land they shall possess the double ; everlast- 
ing joy shall be unto them. 

^ For 1 the Lord love judgment, 1 hate robbery for burnt - 
ofi'ering ; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will 
make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed 
shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring 
among the people : all that see them shall acknowledge 
them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joy- 
ful in my God ; for he hath clothed me with the garments 
of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of right- 
eousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, 
and as a bride aiiorneth herself with her jewels. For as the 
earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth 
the things that are sown in it to spring forth ; so the Lord 
God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth 
before all the nations. — Isaiah Ixi. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 23J' 



CHAPTER L. 

The accomplishment of God*s promise to his Churchy and 
Ministsrs invited to faithfulness * 

For Zion's sake will 1 not hold my pence, and for Jeni- 
siilem*s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness there- 
of go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lainj> 
that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteous- 
ness, and all kings thy glory : and thou shalt be called by 
a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. 

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the 
Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou 
shalt no more be termed Forsaken ; neither shall thy land 
any more be termed Desolate : but thou shalt be called 
Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah : for the Lord delight- 
eth in thee, and thy land shall be married. 

For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons 
marry thee: and as the oridegroom rejoiceth over the 
bride, ^o shall thy God rejoice over thee. 1 have set 
watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never 
hold their peace day nor night : ye that make mention of 
the Lord, keep not silence ; and give him no rest, till he 
establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 

The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm 
of his st;rength. Surely I will no more give thy corn to be 
meat for thine enemies ; and the sons of the stranger shall 
not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured : but 
they that have^gnthered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord ; 
and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the 
courts of my holiness. 

Go through, go through the gates ; prepare ye the way 
of the people ; cast up, cast up the highway ; gather out 
the stones ; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, 
the Lord hath procLiimed unto the end of the world. Say 
ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh ; 
behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 
And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed 
of the Lord : and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city 
not forsaken. -f-Isaia/?- Ixii. 



t40 Bectuties of Frimitive Christianity, or, 

CHAPTER LI. 

A SERMON ON THE MANNER OF PRAISING GOD. 

PSALM xxxiii. 1. 

** Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous ; for praise is come- 
dy for the upright, ^^ 

There is something very noble, my brethren, in the end 
for which we are now assembled in the presence of God. 
His Providence hath infinitely diversified the conditions of 
fhose who compose this assembly. Some are placed in the 
most eminent, others in the most obscure posts of society. 
Some live in splendor and opulence, others in meanness 
and indigence. One is employed in the tribulance of the 
army, another in the silence of the study. Notwithstand- 
ing this infinite variety of employments, ranks, and ages, 
we all assemble to-day in one place ; one object occupies 
-us; one sentiment animates us; one voice makes the 
church resound, Praise ye the Lord, for his mercy endureth 
for ever^ Psal. cxxxvi. 1. If there be an object, that can 
give a mortal any ideas of the first impressions, which are 
made on a soul, at its first entering the glorious palace of 
the blessed God in heaven, it is this. The first objects, 
that strike such a soul, are multitudes of all nations, 
tongues, and people, concentered in a meditation on the 
beneficence of God, prostrating themselves before his 
throne, casting their crowns at his feet, and crying out of 
the abundance of their hearts, which contemplate the per- 
fections of a Being worthy of their profoundest praise, 
*' Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiv- 
ing, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God, 
for ever and ever. Amen,'* Rev. vii. 12. " We give thee 
thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and 
art to come ; because thou has taken to thee thy great 
power, and hast reigned," chap. xi. 17- " Great and mar- 
vellous are thy works. Lord God Almighty ; just and true 
are thy ways, th'^u king of saints !" chap. xv. 3. " Unto 
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his 
Father ; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, 
Amen,'' chap. i. 5, 6. This is the employment of the 
blessed in heaven : this is what we are doing to-day on 
earth. 



The Auxiliary and Supplementally Guide. t4i 

But what a contradiction, what a contrast appears, when, 
Iltting up the exterior habit of piety, that covers some of 
us, we examine the inward dispositions of the heart. The 
psalms, which are uttered with the voice, are contradict- 
ed by the tempers of the heart. The mouths, that were 
just now opened to bless the Creator, will presently be 
opened again to blaspheme and to curse him. The prais- 
es, w^hich seemed so proper to please him in whose honor 
they were offered, will incur this reproof. Thou wicked 
man ! What hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth ? 
Psal. I. 16. 

My brethren, if we would join our voices with those ot 
angels, we must have the sentiments of angels. We must, 
(at least, as far as the duty is imitable by such frail crea- 
tures) we must, in order to worship God, as those happy 
spirits praise him, love him as they do, serve him as the} 
do, devote ourselves to him as they devote themselves to 
him ; and this is the manner of praising God, to which I 
exhort, and in which 1 would endeavour to instruct you to 
day, agreeably to the prophet's exhalted notion of it in the 
words of the text. What day can be more proper to in- 
spire such a noble design ? What day can be more proper 
to engage you to mix your worsl>ip with that of glorified 
intelligences, than this, on which we are come " unto the 
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an in- 
numerable company of angels, and to the tirst-born which 
are written in heaven V* Heb. xii. 22, 23. 

But, who are we, to be admitted into a society «o holy ? 
Great God ! Thou dost appear to us to-day, as thou didst 
formerly to thy prophet, "' sitting upon a throne, high and 
lifted up, and thy train filling the temple,'' Isa. vi. 1. — 
Around thee stand the Seraphim?, covering themselves 
with their wings in thy majesuc presence, and crying one 
10 another, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the 
whole earth is full of his glory," ver. 3. We are stri :ken, 
as thy prophet was, with such a tremendous vision, and 
each of us cries with him, " VVo is me I 1 am undone I 1 
am a man of unclean lips ! and yet, mine eyes have seen 
the King, the Lord of hosts," ver. 5. O great God ! com- 
mand one of thy Seraphims to fly to us, as he flew to him ; 
bid him touch our mouths, as he touched his, with *' a live 
coal taken from off the altar,'* ver. 6. ; and, in this day of 
grace and mercy, let him say to each of us, '' Lo, this 

21 



'i42 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, qt, 

hath touched thy lips, and thine eniquity is taken away, 
and thy sin purged! Amen." ver. 7. 

Praise is comely for the vp right. The praising of God 
is a duty, of which we may form two different notions : — 
a general^ and a particular notion. By a general notion of 
praise, 1 mean, the exercise of a man, who, heing capable 
of examining subhme objects, and of comprehending grand 
subjects, fixeth his attention on the attributes of God, feels 
the force of those proofs which establish the truth of them, 
is delighted with them, to a certain degree, and is happy 
in publishing their praise. I mean, by a particular notion 
of praising God, the exercise of a man, who, having re- 
ceived some signal favor of God, loves to express his gra- 
titude for it. 

Each of these exercises of praise supposeth reflections, 
and sentiuhents. To praise God in the first sense, to re- 
ject on his attributes, to converse, and to write about 
them, without having the heart affected, and without lov- 
ing a Being, who is described as supremely amiable, is a 
lifeless praise, more fit for a worldly philosopher than for 
a rational christian. To praise God in the second sense, 
to be affected with the favors of God, withoat having any 
distinct notions of God, without knowing whether the de- 
scriptions of the perfections, that are attributed to him, be 
tiights of fancy or real truths, is an exercise more fit for a 
bigot, who believes without knowing why, than for a '* spi- 
ritual man, who judgeth all things," 1 Cor. ii. 13. If we 
distinguish the part, which these two faculties, reflection 
and sentiment, take in these two exercises of praise, we 
may observe that the first, I mean-, the praise of God taken 
in a general sense, is the fruit of reflection, and the second 
of sentiment. The first is, if I may be allowed to speak 
so, the praise of the miud ; the second is the praise of the 
heart. 

It is difficult .to determine which of these two notions 
prevails in the text, whether the psalmist use the word 
praise in the first, or in the second sense. If we judge by 
the whole subject of the psalm, both are included. The 
praise of the heart is easily disco?ered. Whether 
the author of the psalm were Hezekiah, as many of 
the fathers thought, who say, this prince composed it af- 
ter the miraculous defeat of Sennacherib : or whether, 
'ivhich is most likely, David were the composer ol it, af- 
T one of those preternatural deliverances, with which his 
.was so often signalized : what 1 call the praise of the 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 243 

heart, that is, a lively sense of some inestimable blessing, 
is ch^arly to be seen. On the other hand, it is still clear- 
<er, that the sacred author doth not celebrate only one par- 
ticular ©bject in the psalm. He gives a greater scope to 
his meditation, and comprises in it all the works, and all 
the perfections of God. 

Although the solemnity of this day calls us less to the 
praise of the mind, than to that of the heart ; although y/e 
intend to make the latter the principal subject of this dis- 
course ; yet it is necessary lo attend a little to the for- 
mer. 

I. The praise of the Lord^ taking the word praise in the 
vague sense, that we have affixed to the term, is comely 
for the upright : and it is comely for none but forthena. 

'*■ Praise is comely for the upright " Nothing is more 
worthy of the attention of an intelligent being, particularly, 
nothing is -more worthy of the meditation of a superior ge- 
nius, than the wonderful perfections of the creator. A man 
of superior genius is required, indeed, to use his talents to 
cultivate the sciences aad the liberal arts: but, after all, 
the mind of man, especially of that man to whom God hath 
given superior talents, which assimilate him to celestial 
intelligences, was not created to unravel a point in chro- 
nology, to learn the different sounds by which different 
nations signify their ideas, to measure a line, or to lose it- 
self in an algebraic calculation ; the mind of such a man 
was not created to study the stars, to count their number, 
to measure their magnitude, to discover more than have yet 
been observed. Nobler objects ought to occupy him. It 
becomes such a mrm to :ontempIate God, to guide the rest 
of mankind, to lead them to God, who '* dwelleth in the light 
which no man can approach unto," 1 Tim. vi. iQ, and to 
teach us to attenuate the clouds that hide him from our 
feeble eyes. It becomes such a man to use that superiority 
which his knowledge gives him over us, to elevate our 
hearts above the low region of terrestrial things, where 
they grovel with the brute beasts, and to help us to place 
tliem on the bright abode of the immortal God. The praise 
of the Lord is comely for upright men. 

But praise is comely only for upright men. I believe it 
is needless now to explain the word uprightness. The term 
is taken in the text in the noblest sense : this is a suf- 
ficient explication, and this is sufficient also to convince u?, 
that the praising of God is comely for none but upright men* 



244 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

I cannot see, without indignation, a philosopher trifle with 
the important questions that relate to the attributes of God- 
and make them simple exercises of genius, in which the 
heart hath no concern, examining whether there be a God, 
with the same indifference with which he inquires whether 
there be a vacuum in nature, or whether matter be infinite- 
ly divisible. On determining the questions which relate 
to the divine attributes depend our hopes and fears, the 
plans that we mast form, and the course of life which 
we ought to pursue ; and with these views we should ex- 
amine the perfections of God : these are consequences that 
should follow our inquiries. With such dispositions the 
psalmist celebrated the praises of God, in the psalm out of 
which we have taken the text. How comely are the 
praises of God in the mouth of such a man ! 

Let us follow the holy man a moment in his mediWion. 
His psalm is not composed in scholastic form, in which the 
author confines himself to fixed rules, and scrupulously 
following a philosophical method, Ijys down principles^ 
and infers consequences. How ever, he establisheth prin- 
ciples, the most proper to give us sublime ideas of the 
Creator; and he speaks with more precision of the works 
and attributes of God than the greatest philosophers have 
spoken of them. 

How absurdly have philosophers treated of the origin of 
the world ? How few of them have reasoned conclusively 
on this important subject ? Our prophet solves the im- 
portant question by one single principle, and what is more 
remarkable, this principle, which is nobly expressed, car- 
ries the clearest evidence with it. The principle is this : 
Bv the word of the Lord wee the heavens made : and all the 
host of them by the breath of his mouth, ver, 6. This is the 
most rational account that was ever given, of the creation 
of the world. The world is the work of a selfefhcient 
will, and it is this principle alone that can account for its 
creation. The most simple appearances in nature are 
sufficient to lead us to this principle Either my will is 
self-efficient, or there is some other being whose will is 
self-efficient. Whaf 1 say of myself, I say of my parents, 
and what J affirm of my parents, 1 afiirm of my more re- 
mote ancestors, and of all the finite creatures from whom 
they derived their existence. Most certainly, either finite 
beings have self-efficient wills, which it is impossible to 
-uppose. for a finite creature with a self efficient will is u 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 245 

contradiction : either, I say, a finite creature hath a^self- 
efficient will ; or there is a first cause who hath a self-effi- 
cient will ; and that there is such a being is the principle 
of the psalmist ; By the word of the Lord were the heavens 
made ; and all the host of them by the breath cfhis mouth, 

If^ philosophers have reasoned inconclusively on the ori- 
gin of the world, they have spoken of its government with 
equal uncertainty. The psalmist determines this ques- 
tion with great facility, by a single principle, which results 
from the former, and which, like the former, carries its 
evidence witli it. " The Lord looketh from heaven : he 
considereth all the works of all the inhabitants of the 
earth,'' Psalm sxxiii. 13, 14. This is the dcrctrine of Pro- 
vidence. And on what is the doctrine of Providence found- 
ed ? On this principle ; Godfashioneth their hearts alike^ 
ver. 1 5. Attend a moment to the evidence of this reason- 
ing, my brethren. The doctrine of Providence, express- 
ed in these words, God considereth the works of the inhabit 
tants of the earth, is a necessary consequence of this prin- 
ciple, God fashioneth their hearts alike^ and this principle 
is a necessary consequence of that which the psalmist had 
before laid down to account for the origin of the world. — 
Yes ! fi'om the doctrine of God the Creator of men, follows 
that of God the inspector, the director, rewarder, and the 
punisher of their actions. One of the most specious ob- 
jections that hath ever been opposed to the doctrine of 
Providence, is a contrast between the grandeur of God and 
the meanness of men. How can such an insignificant crea- 
ture as man be an object of the care and attention of such ^ 
magnificent being as God P No objaction can be more spe- 
cious, or, in appearance, more invincible. 

The distance between the meanest insect and the 
mightiest monarch, who treads and crushes reptiles to 
death without the least regard to them, is a very imperfect 
image of the distance between God and man. That which 
proves that it would be beneath the dignity of a monarch 
to observe the motions of ants, or worms, to interest him- 
self in their actions, to punish or reward them, seems to 
ciemonstrate, that God would degrade himself were he to 
ebserve, to direct, to punish, to reward mankind, who 
are infinitely inferior to him. But one fact is sufficient to 
answer this specious objection : That is, that God hath 
created mankind. Doth God degrade himself more by 
gOTerning, than by creatiBg mankind ? Who can persuade 

21* ' 



24G Beauties of Primitive Christianity, of ^ 

himself, that a wise Being hath given to intelHgent crea^ 
tures faculties capable of obtaining knowledge and virtue > 
without willing that they shotild endeavour to acquire 
knowledge and virtue ? Or who can imagine, that a wise 
Being, who willeth that his intelligent creatures should ac- 
quire knowledge and virtue, will noi punish them, if they 
neglect those acquisitions ; and will not shew by the dis- 
tribution of his benefits that he approves their endeavours 
to obtain them ? 

Unenlightened philosophers have treated of the attri- 
butes of God with as much abstruseness as they have writ- 
ten of his works. The moral attributes of God, as they 
are called in the schools, were mysteries which they could 
not unfold. These may be reduced to two classes : attri- 
butes of ^ooJness. and attributes of justice. Philosophers, 
who have admitted these, have usually taken that for grant- 
ed w^hich they ought to have proved. They collected to- 
gether in their minds all perfections, they reduced thenri 
all to one object, which they denominated a perfect being : 
and supposing, without proving, that a perfect being exist- 
ed, they attributed to him, without proof, every thing that 
they considered as a perfection. The psalmist shews by 
a surer way that there is a God supremely just, and su- 
premelv good. It is necessary, in order to convince a ra- 
tional being of the justice and goodness of God, to follow 
such a method as that which we follow to prove his exist- 
ence. When we would only prove the existence of God, 
we say, there are creatures ; therefore, there is a Crea- 
tor. In like manner, when we would prove, that a crea- 
tor is a just, and a good being, we say, there are quah- 
ties of goodness and justice in creatures ; therefore, he. 
from whom these creatures derive their exi!?tence, is a 
Being just and good. Now, this is the reasoning of the 
psalmist in this psalm : The Lord loveth righteousness and 
judgment, the earth is full ofthegoolness of the Lord, ver. 6. 
that is to say, it is impossible to consider the works of the 
Creator, without receiving evidence of his goodness. And 
the works of nature, which demonstrate the goodness of 
God, prove his justice also : for God hath created us with 
such dispositions, that we cannot enjoy the gifts of his 
goodness without obeying the laws of his righteousness. 
The happiness of an individual, who procures a pleasure 
by disobeying the laws of equity, is a violent happiness, 
which cannot be of long duration : and the prosperity of 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 247 

public bodies, when it is founded in iniquity, is an edifice, 
which with its basis will be presently sunk and gone. 

But what we would particularly remark is, that the ex- 
cellent principles of the psalmist, concerning God, are not 
mere speculations : but truths from which he derives prac- 
tical inferences ; and he aims to extend their intiuence be- 
yond private persons, even to legislators and conquerors. 
One would think, considering the conduct of mankind, 
that the consequences, which are drawn from the doctrines 
of which w^e hare been speaking, belong to none but to 
the dregs of the people ; that lawgivers and conquerors 
have a plan of morality peculiar to themselves, and are 
above the rule-^ to which other men must submit. Our 
prophet had other notions. What are his maxims of poli- 
cy ? They are all included in these words : " Blessed is 
the nation whose God is the Lord ; and the people whom 
he hath chosen for his own inheritance," ver 12. What 
are his military maxims ? They are all included in these 
words : *' There is no king saved by the multitude 
of an host ; a mighty man is not delivered by much 
strength : An horse is a vain thing lor safety ; neither shall 
he deliver any by his great strength," ver. 16, 17. Who 
proposeth these maxims ] A hermit viho never appeared 
on the theatre of the world ? or a man destitute of the 
talents necessary to shine there ? No : one of the wisest 
of kings ; one of the most bold and able generals ; a man, 
whom God hiuiself elected to govern his chosen people, 
and to command those armies which fought the most ob- 
stinate battles, and gained the most com[jlete victories. 
Were I to proceed in explaining the system of the psalm^ 
ist, I might prove, that as he had a right to mfer the doc- 
trine of providence from the works of n iture, and that of 
the mor d attributes of God from the works of creation ; 
90, from the doctrine of the moral attributes of God, of 
providence, and of the works of creation, he had a right t© 
conclude, that no conquerors or lawgivers could be truly 
happy but those who acted agreeably to the laws of the 
just and good Supreme. But I shall not enlarge on tkis 
article. 

Permit me only to place in one point of view the differ- 
ent phrases by which tiie psalmist describes the Deity in 
this psalm. ** The earth is full of the goodness of the 
Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made : 
and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He 



248 Beauties qf^rimitive Christianity^ or, 

gathereth the waters of the sea together, as an heap : [ut 
layeth up the depth in storehouses. The Lord looketh 
from heaven : he beholdeth all the sons of men. From 
the place of his habitation he looked upon all the inhabi- 
tants of the earth. He fiishioneth their hearts alike ; he 
considereth all their works," Psal. xxxiii. 5, 6, 7, ^3, 
14, 15. From these speculative ideas of God, he derives 
the following rules of practice, " Let all the earth fear the 
Lord : Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe 
of him. Our soul waiteth for the Lord : he is our help 
and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him : be- 
cause we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, 
O Lord, be upon us according as we hope in thee," Psal. 
xxxiii. 8, 20, 21 , 22. How delightful it is, my brethren, to 
speak of God, when one hath talents to speak of him in such 
a noble manner, and when one intends to promote the fear 
and the love of him, with an universal obedience to him, 
from all that is said ! How well it becomes such a man to 
praise God 1 The praise of the Lord is comely in the 
mouths oi tip right men. 

II. Let us now apply the subrject more immediately to 
the service of this day. To praise God is a phraee, which 
is sometimes taken in a particular sense, for the exercise 
of a person, who, having received singular favours of God, 
delights in expressing his gratitude to him. This praise 
is comely in the mouth of an upright man for four reasons. 

First, Because he arrangeth them in their true order, 
highly estimating what deserves a high esteem, and most 
highly estimating what deserves the highest esteem. 

Secondly, Because he employs all his benehts in the 
service of his bene<factor. 

Thirdly, Because, while he recounts his blessings, he 
divests himself of all merit, and ascribes them only to the 
goodness of God from whom they proceed. 

Fourthly, Because he imitates that goodness and love, 
which inclined God to bless him in such a manner. 

I will affix to each of these reflections a single word. — 
Praise^ or if you will, gratitude is comely for the upright^ 
because it is xscise^ real, humble, and magnanimous : In 
these four respects, praise is comely for the upright. — 
These are the sentiments with which the august ceremony 
of which we have partaken this morning, should inspire 
us. These are the most important reflections with which 
we can close this discourse. 



The Auxiliary and Supptementarij Guide. 246 

1. The gratitude of upright men is wise. The praise of 
(he Lord becomes them well, because, while they bless 
God for all their mercies, they arrange them in their pro- 
per order ; they prize each according to its real worth, 
and that most of all which is of the greatest value. It is a 
very mortifying reflection, my brethren, that the more we 
study ourselves, the more clearly we perceive, that the 
love of the world, and of sensible things, is the chief >^pring 
of all our actions and sentiments. This disagreeable truth 
is proved, not only by the nature of our vices, but even by 
the genius of our virtues ; not oaly by the offences we 
commit against God, but by the very duties that we per- 
form in his service. 

A person so ungrateful, as not to discover any gratitude 
to God, when he bestows temporal blessing on him, caa 
scarcely be found. We praise God, when he delivers us 
from any public calamity, or from any domestic adversity ; 
when he recovers us fiom dangerous illness ; when he 
raiseth us up an unexpected friend, or a protector, who 
assists us ; when he sends us some prosperity, which ren- 
ders life more easy. In such cases as these, we render 
an homage to God, that cannot be refused without ingrati- 
tude. 

^ But we are extremely blameable, when, while we feel 
the value of these blessings, we remain insensible of the 
worth of other blessings, which are infinitely more valua- 
ble, and which merit infinitely more gratitude. A bless- 
ing that directly regards the soul, is more valuable than 
one which regards only the body. A blessing, that re- 
gards our eternal happiness, is of greater worth, than one 
which influenceth only the happiness of this life. Whence 
is it then, that, being so sensible of blessings of the first 
kind, we are so little affected with those of the last ? How 
comes it to pass, that we are so full of gratitude, when 
God gives the state some sign il victory ; when he pros- 
pers its inuU ; when he strengthens the bonds, that unite 
, it to powerful and faithful allies ; and so void of it, while 
he continues to grant it the greatest blessing that a society 
of rational creatures can enjoy, I mean a liberty to serve 
God according to the dictates of our own consciences ? — 
Whence is it, that we are so very thankful to God for pre- 
serving our lives from the dangers that daily threaten 
them ; and so little thankful for his miraculous patience 
With us, to which it is owing, that, after we have hardeu- 



JoO Beauties of Primitive Christiauiti/y or^ 

ed our hearts against his voice one j'ear, he invites us 
another year ; after we have falsified our promises made 
on one solemnity, he calls us to another solemnity, and 
giveth us new opportunities of being more fiiithful to him ? 
Whence comes this difference ? Follow it to its source. — 
Does it not proceed from what we just now said ? Is not 
love of the world, and of sensible things* the grand spring 
of our actions and sentiments ? The world, the world ; lo 1 
this is the touchstone by which we judge of good and evil 1 

An upright man judgeth in another manner : he will, in- 
deed, bless God for all bis benefits ; but, as he knows how 
to arrange them, so he knows how to prize each according 
to its worth, and how to apportion his esteem to the real 
value of them all. 

According to such an e<?timation, what ought not our 
gratitude to God to be to-day, my dear brethren ! we may 
assure ourselves with the utmost truth, that had the Lord 
united in our houses tc-day pleasures, grandeurs, and dig- 
. nities ; had he promised each o^'us a life longer than that 
of a patriarch ; a family as happy as that of Job, after his 
misfortune- ; glory as great as that of Solomon ; he would 
have bestowed nothing equal to that blessing which he 
gave us this morning. He forgave those sins, which, had 
they taken their natural course, would have occasioned 
endless remorse, and would have plunged us into everlast- 
ing misery and woe. A peace was shed abroad in our con- 
sciences, which gave us a foretaste of heaven. He excited 
hopes, that absorbed our souls in their grandeur. Let us 
say all in one word : he gave us his Son. '* He that spar- 
ed not his own Son, how shall he not with him also freely 
give us all things ?" Rom. viii. 32 

2. The gratitude of upright men is real. The praise of 
the Lord becomes them, because, while they praise God 
for his benefits, they live to the glory of their benefactor. 
Every gift of God furnisheth us with both a motive and a 
mean of obedience to him. It is an excess of ingratitude 
to make a contrary use of his gifts, and to turn the bene- 
fits that we receive against the benefactor from whom we 
receive them. What gifts are they by which God hath 
most distinguished us ? Thee he hath distinguished by a 
penetrating genius, which renders the highest objects, the 
deepest mysteries, accessible to thee. Wo he to thee ! 
if thou employ this gift to invent arguments against the 
truths of religion, and to find out sophisms that befriend in- 



The Auxiliary and SiippJementary Guide. 251 

tiilelity. An upright man devotes this gift to the service of 
his benefactor ; he avails himself of his genius, to discov- 
er the folly of sceptical sophisms, and to demonstrate the 
truth of religion. On thee he hath bestowed an astonish- 
ing memory. Wo be to thee ! if thou use it to retain the 
pernicious maxims of the world. An upright man dedi- 
cates this gift to his benefactor ; he employs his memory 
in retaining the excellent l<^ssons of equity, charity, and 
patience, which the Holy Spirit hath taught him in the 
scriptures. To thee he hath given an authoritative elocu- 
tion, to which everv hearer is forced to bow. Wo be to 
thee! if thou apply this rare talent to seduce the minds, 
and to deprave the hearts of mankind. An upright man 
devotes this blessing to the service of his benefactor ; he 
useth his eloquence to free the minds of men from error, 
and their lives from vice. Towards thee, God hath exer- 
cised a patience, which seems contrary to his usual rules 
of conduct towards sinners, and by which he hath abounded 
towards thee in forbearance and long- sutfe ring. W^o be to 
thee ! if thou turn this blessing to an opportunity of viola- 
ting the commands of God ; if thine obstinacy run parallel 
with his patience, and if, *' because sentence against an 
evil work is not executed speedily,'' thy heart he fully set 
in thee to do evil, Eccl. viii. 11. An upright man devotes 
this blessing to his benefactor's service. From the pa- 
tience of God he derives motives of repentnnce. How 
easily might this article be enlarged ! how fruitful in in- 
struction would it be on this solemnity ! But we proceed. 

3. Gratitude to God well becomes an uprii^ht man, be- 
cause it is /iwm^/c ,- because an upright man, by publishing 
the gifts of God's grace, divests himself of himself, and at- 
tributes them wholly to the goodness of him from whom 
they came. Far from us be a profane mixture of the real 
grandeurs of the Creator, with the fanciful grandeurs of 
creatures ! Far be those praises, in which he who offers 
them always finds, in his own excellence, the motives that 
induced the Lord to bestow his benefits on him ! 

Two reflections always axalt the gifts of God in the eyes 
©fan upright man : a reflection on his meanness, and a re- 
flection on his unworthiness ; and it is with this comeliness 
-f humility, if I may venture to call it so, that 1 wish ta 
engage you to praise Gad for the blessings of this day. 

1. Meditate on your meanness. Contrast yourselves 
with God, who gives himself to you to-day in such a ten- 



252 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or, 

fler manner. How soon is the capacity of man absorbetl 
in the works and attributes of God ! Conceive, if thou bt 
capable, the grandeur of a Being, who '' made the heavens 
by his word, and all the host of them by the breath of hib 
mouth." Think, if thou be capable of thinking, of the 
glory of a Being, who existed from all eternity, whose un- 
derstanding is infinite, whose power is irresistible, whosf 
will is- above control. Behold him filling the whole 
universe with his presence. Behold him in the palace of 
his glory, inhabiting the praises of the blessed, surround- 
ed by thousand thousands, and by ten thousand times ten 
thousand angels, who excel in strength, and who delight to 
fly at the first signal of his will. Thou human soul ! con- 
template this object, and recover thy reason. What art 
thou ? What was thine origin ? What is thine end ? Thou 
diminutive atom 1 great only in thine own eyes ; behold 
thyself in thy true point of view. Dust I Ashes ! Putre- 
faction I glorious only at the tribunal of thine own pride ; 
divest thyself of the tawdry grandeur in which thou lovest 
to array thyself. Thou vapour! Thou dream ! Thou ex- 
fealation of the earth 1 evaporating in the air, and having 
no other consistence than what thine own imagination gives 
thee ; behold thy vanity and nothingness. Yet this dream, 
this exhalation, this vapour, this dust and ashes and putre- 
faction, this diminutive creature, is an object of the eternal 
care and love of its God. For thee, contemptible crea- 
ture 1 the Lord stretched out the heavens : for thee he laid 
the foundation of the earth : let us say morq : For thee, 
contemptible creature I God formed the plan of redemp- 
tion. What could determine the great Jehovah to com- 
municate himself, in such a tender and intimate manner, to 
so contemptible a creature as man ? His goodness, his good- 
ness alone. 

Although a sense of our meanness should not terrify and 
confound us, yet it should exclude arrogmce, and excite 
lowly sentiments : but what will our humility be, if we 
estimate the gifts of God's grace by an idea of our un- 
worthiness ? Let each recollect the mortifying history of 
his own life Remember, thou ! thy fiery youth, in which, 
forgetting all the principles that thy pious parents had 
taught thee, thou didst acknowledge no law but thine own 
passionate and capricious will. Remember, thou ! that 
period, in which thy heart, being mfatuated with one ob- 
ject, and wholly employed about it, thou didst make it thine 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 253 

idol, and didsl sacrifice to it thine honour, thy duty, thy 
God. Recollect, thou ! the cruel use, that for many years 
thou didst make of thy credit, thy riches, thy rank, when, 
being devoured with self-love, thou wast insensible to the 
voice of the widow and the orphan, and to a number of dis- 
tressed people, who solicited relief. Remember thou! 
that fatal hour, the recollection of which ought to make thy 
head waters^ and thine Byes a fountain of tears^ Jer. ix. L 
that fatal hour, in which, God having put thee into the fiery 
trial of persecution, thou couldst not abide the proof. Like 
Peter, thou didst 7iot know a disgraced Redeemer ; thou 
didst cowardly abandon a persecuted church, and wast just 
on the point of abjuring thy religion. Let each of us so 
consider himself as he seems in the eyes of a holy God. A 
criminal worthy of the most rigorous punishments I Let 
each of us say to himself. Notwithstanding allgthis, it is I^ 
guilty I J I, whose sins are more in number than the hairs 
on my head ; it is 1, who have been admitted this morning 
into the house of God ; it is I, who have been invited this 
morning to that mystical repast, which sovereign wisdom 
itself prepared ; it is I, who have been encouraged against 
the just fears, which the remembrance of my sins had ex- 
cited, and have heard the voice of God, proclaiming in my 
conscience, '* Fear not, thou worm, Jacob," Isa. xli. 14« 
It is I, who have been *' abundantly satisfied with the fat- 
ness of the house of God, and have '' drunk of the river of 
his pleasures," Ps. xxxvi. 8. What inclines God to in- 
dulge me in this manner ? Goodness only 1 O surpassing 
and inconceivable goodness ! thou shalt for ever be the 
object of my meditation and gratitude ! " How excellent is 
thy lovmg kindness, O God !'^ ver. 7. These are the sen- 
timents that ought to animate our praise to-day. Such 
praise is comely for the upright. 

Finally, the gratitude of an upright man is noble and 
magnanimous. The praise of God well becomes the mouth 
of an upright man, because he takes the love of God to him 
for a pattern of his behaviour to his fellow creatures. St. 
Paul hath very emphatically expressed the happy change 
which the gospel produceth in true Christians. '* We all, 
with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the 
Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to 
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor.'' iii. 
18. Some commentators, instead of reading we all be- 
holding as in a glass, as the expression is rendered in our 

22 



254 Beauties of Primitive Christianity , or, 

translation, render the words, we all becoming mirrors. 
I will not undertake to prove that this is the meaning of the 
term : it is certainly the sense of the apostle. He means 
to inform us, that the impression, which the evangelical 
display of the perfections of God makes on the souls of be- 
lievers, engraves them on their minds, and renders them 
like mirrors, that reflect the rays, and the objects which 
are placed opposite to them, and represent their images. 
«« They behold the glory of the Lord with open face. They 
are changed from glory to glory into the same image, even 
as by the Spirit of the Lord.*' I wish, my brethren, that the 
impression, which v/as made on yx)u by the generosity and 
magnanimity oi God, who hath loaded you with his gra- 
cious benefits, may transform you to day " into the same 
image from glory to glory.*' I would animate you with 
this, the most noble, the most sublime, the most comforta- 
ble, way of praising God. 

What gave you so much peace, pleasure, and happmess 
in what God has done fer you ? Was it the pardon of your 
sins I Imitate it ; pardon your brethren. Was it his past 
forbearance with you ? Imitate it ; moderate that impa- 
tience which the ingratitude of your brethren excites m 
your minds. Was it that spirit of communication, which 
disposed a God, who is all sufficient to his own happiness, 
to go out of himself, as it were, and to communicate his teli- 
city to creatures ? Imitate it ; go out of those intrenchments 
of prosperity in which ye lodge, and impart your benefi s to 
Your brethren. Was it the continual watchfulness of God tor 
the salvation of your souls ? Imitate it ; exert yourselves 
for the salvation of the souls of your brethren; sutler not 
those who are united to you by all the ties of nature, so- 
ciety,' and religion, to perish through your lukewarmness 
and negligence. While ye triumphantly exclaim, on this 
solemn festival, - Let us make a joyful noise tp the Rock 
of our salvation," Ps. xcv. 1. remember your persecuted 
brethren, to whom God refuseth this pleasure ; remember 
the ways of Z ion, th'^i " mourn because none come to the 
solemn feasts," Lam. i. 4. . ^^ . ,. ^ ,• ^i , u^^ 
My brethren, how pleasing is a Christian festival ! How 
comfortable the institution, to which we were this morn- 
inff called 1 But, I remember here a saying ol Jesus i^tirisi 
to his apostles, - I have other sheep which are not of 
his fold : them also I must bring, and there shal be one 
fS, and one shepherd,- John x. 16. Alas 1 we also have 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 255 

sheen in another fold. When shall we have the comfort 
of bringing them into this ? Ye div.ded fam.hes ! who are 
present in this assembly, when will ye be umted ? Ye 
Sdrenof the Reformation - whom the misfortunes of the 
?mes have torn from us ; ye dear parts of ourselves ! when 
Slye come to us ? When wi^ll ye be re-gathered to the 
flock of the great Shepherd and bishop of our souls ? Whea 
win ye shed in our'^assemblies tears of repentance, for 
having lived so long without a church, without sacraments, 
wlSout public worship ? When will ye shed tears of joy 
for having recovered these advantages ,.,••♦♦„ 

Great God ! Thou great God who hidest thyself! is it to 
extinguish, or to inflame our zeal, that thou delayest the 
happy period? Are our hopes suspended or unfounded ? 
God grant, my dear brethren, that the ^'•«««' ^l^'^^. !^! 
rendir to the Lord for all his beneBts, may obtain their 
continuance and increase ! And God grant, while he giveth 
us our lives for a prey, Jer. xxi. 9. that those of our bre- 
thren may be given us also ! To him he honour and glory 
for ever ! Amen. 



356 Beauties of Primiiive Christianity^ or, 

CHAPTER LII. 

A SERMON, 

ON THE VARIETY OF OPINIONS ABOUT CHRIST, 
MATTHEW xvi. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. 

When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he ask- 
ed his disciples, saying, Who7n do men say that /, the Son of 
man, am ? And they said, Some say that thou art John 
the Baptist ; some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of 
the prophets. He saith unto them^ But whom say ye that I 
am ? And Simon Peter anszt'cred and said. Thou art the 
Christ, the Son of the living God, And Jesus answered 
and said unto him. Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona ; for 
flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee^ hit my Fa- 
ther which is in heaven. 

If any prejudice be capable of disconcerting a man's 
peace, it is that which ariseth from observing the various 
opinions of mankind. We do not mean those which re- 
gard uninteresting objects. As we may mistake them with- 
out danger, so we may suppose either that men have not 
sufficiently considered them, or thai the Creator may, 
without injuring the perfections of his nature, refuse those 
assistances which are necessary for the obtaining of a per- 
fect knowledge of them. But how do the opinions of man- 
kind vary about those subjects, which our whole happiness 
is concerned to know ? One affirms, that the works of na- 
ture are the productions of chance : Another attributes 
them to a first cause, who created matter, regulated its 
form, and directed its motion. One says, that there, is but 
one God, that it is absurd to suppose a phirality of Supreme 
Beings, and that to prove there is one, is thereby to prove 
that there is but one : another says, that the Divine Na- 
ture being infinite, can communicate itself to many to an 
infinity, and from many infinities, all really perfect in their 
kind. Moreover, among men who seem to agree in the 
essential points ofreUgion, among Christians who bear the 
same denomination, assemble in the same places of wor- 
ship, and subscribe the same creeds, ideas of the same ar- 
ticles very different, sometimes diametrically opposite, are 



The Jiuociliary and Supplementary Guide, 257 

discovered. As there are numerous opinions on matters 
of speculation, so there are endless notions about practice. 
One contents himself with half a system, containing OHly 
some general duties which belong to worldly decency : — 
another insists on uniting virtue with every circumstance, 
every transaction, every instant, and, if I may be allowed 
to speak so, every indivisible point of life. One thinks it 
lawful to associate the pleasures of the world with the 
practice of piety ; and he pretends that good people differ 
from the wicked only in some enormities, in which the lat- 
ter seem to forget they are men, and to transform them- 
selves into wild beasts : another condemns himself to per- 
petual penances and mortifications, and if at any time he 
allow himself recreations, they are never such as savor of 
the spirit of the times, because they are the livery of the 
world. 

I said, my brethren, that if any prejudices make deep 
impressions on the mind of a rational man, they are those 
which are produced by a variety of opinions. They some- 
times drive men into a state of uncertainty and scepticism, 
the worst disposition of mind, the most opposite to that per- 
suasion, without which there is no pleasure, and the most 
contrary to the grand design of religion, which is to estab- 
lish our consciences, and to enable us to reply to every en- 
quirer on these great subjects, / know^ and am persuaded^ 
Rom. xiv. 14. 

Against this temptation, Jesus Christ guarded his disci- 
ples. Never was a question mor<? important, never were 
the minds of men more divided abosU any question, than 
that which related to the person of our Saviour. Some 
considered him as a politician, who, under a veil of humi- 
lity, hid the most ambitious designs ; others took him for 
an enthusiast. Some thought him an emissary of the de- 
vil : others an envoy from God. Even among them who 
agreed in the latter, " some said that he was Elias, some 
John the Baptist, and others Jeremias, or one of the proph- 
ets.'^ The faith of the apostles was in danger of being 
shaken by these divers opinions. Jesus Christ comes to 
their assistance, and having required their opinions on a 
i|uestion which divided all Judea, having received from 
Peter the answer of the whole apostolical college, he 
praiseth their faith, and, by praising it, gave it a firmer es- 
tablishment. 

22* 



^58 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

My brethren, may the words of Jesus Christ make ever- 
lasting impressions on you ! May those of you who, be- 
cause you have acted rationally, by embracing the belief, 
and by obeying the precepts of the gospel, are sometimes 
taxed with superstition, sometimes with infatuation, and 
sometimes with melancholy, learn from the reflections that 
we shall make on the text, to rise above the opinions of 
men, to be firm and immoveable amidst temptations of this 
kind, always faithfully to adhere to truth and virtue, and to 
be the disciples only of them. Grant, O Lord 1 that they 
who like St. Peter have said to Jesus Christ, Thou art the 
Christ ike So7i of the living God, may experience such plea- 
sure as the answer of the divine Saviour gave to the apos- 
tle's soul, when he said, " Blessed art thoa, Simon Barjo- 
na ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but 
my Father which is in heaven." Amen. 

The questions and the answers which are related in the 
text will be our only divi^^ioas of this discourse. 

Jesus Christ was travelling from Bethany to Cesarea, 
not to that Cesarea which was situated on the Mediterra- 
nean sea, at first called the tower of Strato, and afterwards 
Cesarea, by Herod the Great, in honour of the emperor 
Augustus ; but to that which was situated at the foot of 
Mount Lebanon, and which had been repaired and embel- 
lished in honour of Tiberius, by Phdiip the Tetrarch, the 
son of Herod. 

Jesus Christ, in his way to this city, put this question to 
his disciples, " Whom do men say that 1, the Son of man, 
am ?" or, as it may be rendered, " Whon^ do men say I 
am ? Do they say 1 am the Son of man ?" 

We will not enter into a particular examination of the 
reasons which determined the Jews of our Saviour's time, 
and the inspired writers with tiiem, to distinguish the 
Messiah by the title Son of Man. Were we to determine 
any thing on this subject, we should give the preference to 
the opinion of those who think the phrase Son of Man, 
means man by excellence. The Jews say son of man, to 
signify a man. Witness among many other passages, this 
well-known saying of Balaam ; " God is not a man that he 
should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent,'* 
Numb, xxiii. 19. The Messiah is called the Alan, or the 
Son of Man, that is, the Man of whom the prophecies had 
spoken, the Man whose coming was the object of the de- 
sires and prayers of the whole church. 



'llie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 259 

It is more iqaportant to enquire the design of Jesus 
Christ, in putting this question to his disciples. Whom do men 
say that I am ? it is one of those questions, the meaning of 
which can be determined only by the character of him who 
proposeth it ; for it may be put from many different mo- 
tives. 

Sometimes pride puts this question. There are some 
people who think of nothing but themselves, and who ima- 
gine all the world think about them too : they suppose they- 
are the subject of every conversation ; and fancy every 
wheel which moves in society hath some relation to them ; 
if they be not the principal spring of it. People of this sort 
are very desirous of knowing what is said about them, 
and, as they have no conception that any but glorious 
things are said of them, they are extremely solicitous to 
know them, and often put this question, Whom do men say 
that I am? Would you know what they say of you? No- 
thing at all. They do not know you exist, and, except a 
few of your relations, nobody in the world knows you are 
in it. 

The question is sometimes put by curiosity, and this 
motive deserves commendation, if it be accompanied witii 
a desire of reformation. The judgment of the public is re- 
spectable, and, to a certain degree, it ought to be a rule of 
action to us. It is necessary sometimes to go abroad, to 
quit our relations, and acquaintances, who are prejudiced 
in our flavour, and to inform ourselves of the opinions of 
those who are more impartial on our conduct. I wish 
some people vvould often put this question, IVhom do men 
say that lam? The answers they would receive would 
teach them to entertain less flittering, and more just no- 
tions of themselves. Whom do men say that I am ? They 
say, you are haughty, and proud of your prosperity ; that 
you use your mfiuence only to oppress the weak ; that 
your success is a public calamity ; and that you are a ty- 
rant whom every one abhors. Whom do men say that I am ? 
They say, you have a serpent's tongue, that the poison of 
adders is under your lips, Psal. cxl. 3. that you inflame a 
whole city, a whole province, by the scandalous tales you 
forge, and which, having forged, you industriously propa- 
gate ; they say, you are infernally diligent in sowing dis- 
cord between wife and husband, friend imd friend, subject 
and prince, pastor and flock. Whom do men say that lam ? 
They say, you are a sordid covetous wretch ; that mam- 



160 Beauties of Primitive CJiristianity^ or^ 

monk the God you adore; that, provided your coffer^ 
fill, it is a matter of indifiference to you, whether it be by 
extortion, or by just acquisition, whether it be by a lawful 
inheritance, or by an accursed patrimony. 

Revenge may put the question, Whom do men say that I 
am ? We cannot but know that some reports, which are 
spread about us, are disadvantageous to our reputation. 
We are afraid, justice should not be done to us, we there- 
fore wish to know our revilers, in order to mark them out 
for vengeance. The inquiry in this disposition is certainly 
blameable. Let us live uprightly, and let us give our- 
selves no trouble about what people say of us» If there be 
some cases in which it is useful to know the popular opin- 
ion, there are others in which it is best to be ignorant of 
it.^ If religion forbids us to avenge ourselves, prudence 
requires us not to expose ourselves to the temptation of 
doing it* A heathen hath given us an illustrious example 
of this prudent conduct, which I am recommending to you : 
I speak of Pompey the Great. He had defeated Perpenna. 
and the traitor offered to deliver to him the papers of Serto* 
rius, among which were letters from several of the most 
powerful men in Rome, who had promised to receive Ser- 
torius into Italy, and to put all to death who should at- 
tempt to resist him. Pompey took all the papers, burnt 
all the letters, by that mean prevented all the bloody con- 
sequences which would have followed such fatal discove- 
ries, and, along with them, sacrificed that passion, which 
many, who are called Christians, find the most difficult to 
sacrifice, I mean Revenge. 

But this question, Whom do men say that lam? may be 
put by benevolence. The good of society requires each 
member to entertain just notions of some persons. A ma- 
gistrate, who acts disinterestedly for the good of the state, 
and for the support of religion, would be often distressed 
in his government, if he were represented as a man de- 
Toted to his own interest, cruel in his measures, and go- 
verned by his own imperious temper. A pastor, who 
knoweth and preacheth the truth, who hath the poiT'er of 
alarming hardened sinners, and of exciting the fear of hell 
in them, in order to prevent them from falling into it, or, 
^hall I rather say, in order to draw them out of it : such 
a pastor will discharge the duties of his ofhce with incom- 
parably more success, if the people do him justice, than if 
they accuse him of fomenting errors, and of loving to sur- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 26 1 

round his pulpit with devouring fire and everlasting burn- 
ings, Isa. ¥xxiii. 14. Benevolence may incline such per- 
sons to inquire what is said of them, in order to rectify 
mistakes, which may be very injurious to those who be- 
lieve them. In this disposition Jesus Christ proposed the 
question in the text to his disciples. Benevolence direct- 
ed all the steps of our Saviour, it dictated all his language, 
it animated all his emotions ; and, when we are in doubt 
about the motive of any part of his conduct, we shall sel- 
dom run any hazard, if we attribute it to his benevolence. 
In our text he estabUshed the faith of his disciples by try- 
ing it. He did not want to be told the public opinions 
about himself, he knew them better than they of whom 
he inquired : but he required his disciples to relate peo- 
ple's opinions, that he might give them an antidote against 
the poison that was enveloped in them. 

The disciples answered ; Some say that thou art John 
the Baptist ; some Elias ; and others Jeremias ; or one of 
the prophets. They omitted those odious opinioas, which 
were injurious to Jesus Christ, and refused to defile their 
mouths with the execrable blasphemies, which the malig- 
nity of some uttered against him. But with what sha- 
dow of appearance could it be thought that Jesus Christ 
was John the Baptist ? You may find, in part, an answer 
to this question in the fourteenth chapter of this Gospel, 
ver. 1, — 10. It is there said, that Herod Antipas, called 
the Tetrarch, that is, the king of the fourth part of his fa- 
ther's territories, beheaded John the Baptist at the request 
of Herodias. 

Every body knows the cause of the hatred of that fury 
against the holy man. John the Baptist held an opinion, 
which now-a-days passeth for an error injurious to the 
peace of society, that is, that the high rank of those who 
are guilty of some scandalous vices, ought not to shelter 
them from the censures of the ministers of the living God ; 
and that they who commit, and not they who reprove such 
crimes, are responsible for all the disorders which such 
censures may produce in society. A bad courtier, but a 
good servant of him, who hath sent him to prepare the way 
of the Lord, and to make his paths straight, Luke iii. 4. he 
told the incestuous Herod, without equivocating, It is not 
lawful for thee to have thy brother Philip* s wife. Matt, xiv.4. 
Herodias could not plead her cause with equity, and there- 
fore she pleaded it with cruelty. Her daughter Salome 



262 Beautits of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

had pleased Herod at a feast, which was made in the castle 
of Macheron, on the birth day of the king. He shewed 
the same indulgence to her, that Flaminius the Roman 
shewed to a court-lndy, who requested that consul to gra- 
tify her curiosity with the sight of beheading a man. An 
indulgence, certainly less shocking in a heathen, than in a 
prince educated in a knowledge of the true God. It was 
a common opinion among the Jews, that the resurrection 
of the martyrs was anticipated. Many thought all the pro- 
phets to be raised from the dead at the coming of the Mes- 
?mh, and some had spread a report, which reached Herod, 
that John the Baptist en^ jyed that privilege. 

The same reasons, which persuaded some Jew^s to be- 
lieve that he, whom they called Jesus, was John the Bap- 
tist risen from the dead, persuaded others to believe, that 
he was some one of the prophets, who, Hke John, had been 
put to a violent death, for having spoken with a similar 
courage against the reigning vices of the times in which 
they lived. This was particularly the case of Jeremiah. 
When this prophet was only fourteen years of age, and, as 
he said of himself, when he could not speak, because he 
was a child, Jer. i. 6. he delivered himself with a free- 
dom of speech that is hardly allowable in those who are 
grown grey in a long discharge of the ministerial office. 
He censured without distinction of rank or character, the 
vices ef all the Jews, and having executed this painful 
function from the reign of Josiah to the reign ot Zedekiah, 
he was, if we believe a tradition of the Jews, which Ter- 
tullian, St. Jerome, and many fathers of the church have 
preserved, stoned to death at Tahapanes in Egypt, by his 
countrymen : there he fell a victim to their rage against 
his predictions. The fact is not certain ; however, it is 
admitted by many Christians, who have pretended that St. 
Paul had the prophet Jeremiah particularly in view, when 
he proposed as examples to Christians, some who were 
stoned, Heb. xi. 37. whom he placeth among the cloud of 
witnesses, or, as the words are in the original, among the 
cloud of martyrs, ver. 1. However uncertain this history 
of the prophet's lapidation may be, some Jews believed 
it, and it was sufficient to persuade them that Jesus Christ 
was Jeremiah. 

As Elias was translated to heaven without dying, the 
opinions, of which we have been speaking, were not suf- 
ficient to persuade other Jews that Jesus Christ was Elias j 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 263 

but a mistaken passage of Malachi was the ground of this 
notion. It is the passage which concludes the writings of 
that prophet : '' Behold, 1 will send you Elijah the pro- 
'' phet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of 
^' the Lord," Mai. iii. 5. This prophecy was perfectly 
plain to the disciples of Jesus Christ, for in him, and in 
John the Baptist, they saw it accomplished. But the Jews 
understood it literally. They understand it so still, and, 
next to the coming of the Messiah, that of Ehas is the grand 
object of their hopes. It is Elias, according to them, who 
will " turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and 
the heart of the children to their fathers," ver. 6. It is 
Elias who will prepare the ways of the Messiah, will be 
his forerunner, and will anoint him with holy oil. It is 
Elias, who will answer all questions, and solve all difficul- 
ties. It is Elias, who will obtain by his prayers the resur- 
rection of the just. It is Elias, who will do for the dis- 
persed Jews what Moses did for the Israelites enslaved in 
Egypt ; he will march at their head, and conduct them to 
Canaan. All these expressions are taken from the Rab- 
bies, whose names I omit, as well as the titles of the books 
from which I have quoted the passages now mentioned. 

Such were the various opinions of the Jews about Jesus 
Christ ; and each continued in his own prejudice without 
giving himself any further trouble about it. But how could 
they remain in a state of tranquillity, while questions of such 
importance remained in dispute? AH their religion, all their 
hopes, and all their happinesss, depended on the eclaircisse- 
ment of this problem : VV ho is the man about whom the opin- 
ions of mankind are so divided? The questions, strictly 
speaking, were these : Is the Redeemer of Israel come ? Are 
the prophecies accomplished ? Is the Son of God among us, 
and hath he brought With him peace, grace, and glory ? 
What kind of beings were the Jews, which left these great 
questions undetermined, and lived without elucidating 
them ? Are you surprised at these things, my brethren ? 
Your indolence on questions of the same kind is equally 
astonishing to considerate men. The Jews had business, 
they must have neglected it ; they loved pleasures and 
amusements, they must have suspended them ; they were 
stricken with whatever concerned the present life, and 
they must have sought after the life to come, they must 
have shaken ofif that idleness in which they spent their 
lives, and have taken up the cross and followed Jesus Christ. 



264 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

These were the causes of that indolence, which surpriseth 
you, and these were the causes of that ignorance which 
concealed Jesus Christ from them, till he made himself 
known to them by the just, though bloody calamities, 
which he inflicted on their nation. And these are also the 
causes of that ignorance, in which the greater part of you 
are involved, in regard to many questions as important as 
those which were agitated then. Will a few acts of faith 
in God, and love to him, assure us of our salvation, or must 
these acts be continued, repeated, and estabhshed ? Doth 
faith consist in barely believing the merit of the Saviour, 
or doth it inchide an entire obedience to his laws ? Is the 
fortune, that I enjoy with so much pleasure, display with 
so much parade, or hide with so much niggardliness, really 
mine, or doth it belong to my country, to my customers, to 
the poor, or to any others, whom my ancestors hath de- 
ceived, from whom they have obtained, and from whom I 
withhold it ? Doth my course of life lead to heaven, or to 
hell ? Shall I be numbered with the spirits of just men 
made perfect^ Heb. xii. 23. after I have finished my short 
life, or shall I be plunged with devils into eternal flames ? 
My God ! how is it possible for men quietly to eat, drink, 
sleep, and, as they call it, amuse themselves, while these 
important questions remain unanswered 1 But, as I said of 
the Jews, we must neglect our business ; suspend our 
pleasures ; cease to be dazzled with the present, and em- 
ploy ourselves about the future world : perhaps also we 
must make a sacrifice of some darling passion, abjure some 
old opinion ; or restore some acquisition, which is dearer 
to us than the truths of religion, and the salvation of our 
souls. Wo be to us ! Let us no more reproach the 
Jews ; the causes of their indolence are the causes of ours. 
Ah 1 let us take care, lest, like them, we continue in igno- 
rance, till the vengeance of God command death, and de- 
vils, and hell, to awake us with them to everlasting shame ^ 
Dan. xii. 2. 

Jesus Christ, having heard from the mouths of his apos- 
tles what people thought of him, desired also to hear from 
their own mouths, (we have assigned the reasons before,) 
what they themselves thought of him. He saith unto them^ 
But whom say ye that lam ? Peter instantly replied for him- 
self, and for the whole apostolical college. Thou art the 
Shrist, the Son of the Living God, 

St. Peter was a man of great vivacity, and people of this 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 265 

ast are subject to great mistakes ; as ready to speak as to 
think ; they often fall into mistakes, through the same 
principle that inclines them to embrace the truth, and to 
maintain it. St. Peter's history often exemplilies this re- 
mark. Doth he hear Jesus Christ speak of his approaching 
death ? Lordy says he, spare thyself, this shall not be to thee^ 
Matt. xvi. 22. Doth he see a few rays of celestial glory 
on the holy mount ? He is stricken with their splendour, 
and exclaims, Lord^ it is good for us to be here, chap. xvii. 
4. Doth he perceive Jesus Christ in the hands of his ene- 
mies ? He draws a sword to deliver him, and cuts off the 
ear of Malchus. But, if this vivacity expose a man to great 
inconveniences, it is also accompanied with some fine ad- 
vSntages. When a man of this disposition attends to 
virtue, he makes infinitely greater proficiency in it 
than those slow men do, who pause and w^eigh, and argue 
out all step by step : the zeal of the former is more ar- 
dent, their flames are more vehement, and after they are 
become wise by their mistakes, they are patterns of piety, 
St. Peter, on this occasion, proves before-hand all we have 
advanced. He feels himself animated with a holy jealousy, 
in regard to them who partake with him the honour of 
apostleship ; and it would mortify him, could he think, that 
any one of the apostolical college hath more zeal for a mas- 
ter, to whom he hath devoted his heart, and his life, all 
his faculty of loving, and all the powers of his soul ; he 
looks, he sparkles, and he replies. Thou art the Christy the 
Son of the living God, 

Thou art the Christ, or, thou art the Messiah, the king 
promised to the church. He calls this king the Son ^ 
God : Thou ait the Christ, the Son of the living God, The 
Jews gave the Messiah this title, which was an object of 
their hopes. Under this idea the prophecies had promis* 
ed him, *' the Lord hath said unto me. Thou art my Son ; 
this day have I begotten thee," Psal. ii. 7. God himself 
conferred this title on Jesus Christ from heaven, ' This is 
ray beloved Son," Matt. iii. 17. Under this idea the angel 
promised him to his holy mother, '' Thou shalt bring forth 
a Son, he shall be great, and shall be called, The Son of 
the Highest," Luke i. 31, 32. They are two very differ- 
ent questions, I grant. Whether the Jewish church ac» 
kiiowledged that the Messiah should be the Son of God -y--^ 

AW'A whether they knew all the import of this august title. 

23 



266 Beaiities of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

It cannot, however, be reasonably doubted, methinks?- 
whether they discovered his dignity, although they might 
not know the doctrine of Christ's divinity so clearly, nor 
receive it with so much demonstration, as christians have 
received it. 1 should digress too far from my subject, 
were 1 to quote all the passages from the writings of Jews 
which learned men have collected on this article. Let it 
suffice to remark, that if it could be proved, that the Jew- 
ish church affixed only confused ideas to the title Son of 
God, which is given to the Messiah, it is beyond a doubt, 1 
think, that the apostles affixed clear ideas to the terms, and 
that, in their style, Messiah and Son of God are synony- 
mous : witness, among many other passages, St. Thomas's 
adoration of Jesus Christ, expressed in these words, My 
Lord and my God, 

Let us not engage any further in this controversy now ; 
let us improve the precious moments which remain to the 
principal design that we proposed in the choice of the sub- 
ject, that is, to guard you against the temptations which 
arise from that variety of opinions which are received, 
both in the world and in the church, on the most important 
points of religion. The comparison we are going to make 
of St. Peter's confession of faith, with the judgment of Jesu? 
Christ on it, will conduct us to this end. 

Jesus Christ Assured St. Peter, that the confession of 
faith, which he then made, " Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the living God," was not a production of frail and 
corrupted nature, or, as he expresseth it. That " flesh and 
blood had not revealed these thmgs unto him." Flesh and 
blood mean here, as m many other passages we have quot- 
ed at other times, frail and corrupted nature. Jesus Christ 
assured St. Peter, th it this confession was a production of 
grace, w^iich hrid operated in him, and which would con- 
duct him to the supreme good. This is the meaning ot 
these words, *' My Father, who is in heaven, hath reveal- 
ed these things unto thee.'' Whnt characters of the faith 
of St. Peter occasioned the judgment that Jesus Christ 
made of it ? ruid how may we know whether our faith be 
of the same divine original ? Follow us in these reflections : 
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. flesh and blood hath not 
pro^luced the faith that thou hast professed, but viy Father, 
who IS in heaven, hath revealed it to thee. In order to con- 
vince thee of the truth of my assertions, consider, first, the 
circumstances which Providence hath improved to pro- 



Vhe Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 267 

<iace thy faith : secoiKlly, the efforts which preceded it : 
thirdly, the evidence that accompanies it : fourthly, the 
sacrifices which seal and crown it : and, lastly, the nature 
of the very frailties which subsist with it. — Let us explain 
these five characters, and let us make an application of 
them. Let us know St. Peter ; or, rather, let us learn to 
know ourselves. With this, the most important point, we 
will conclude this discourse. 

L Let us attend to the circumstances which Providence 
had improved to the producing of St. Peter's faith. There 
are, in the lives of Christians, certain signal circumstan- 
ces, in which we cannot help perceiving a particular hand 
of Providence working for their salvation. Mistakes on 
this article may produce, and foment, superstitious senti- 
ments. We have, in general, a secret bias to fanaticism. 
We often meet with people who imagine themselves the 
central point of all the designs of God ; they think, he 
watcheth only over them, and that, in all the events in the 
universe, he hath only their felicity in view. Far from 
us be such extravagant notions. It is, however, strictly 
true, that there are in the lives of christians some signal 
circumstances, in which we cannot help seeing a particu- 
lar providence working for their salvation. Of whom can 
this be affirmed more evidently than of the apostles ? They, 
by an inestimable privilege, were not only witnesses of 
the life of Jesus Christ, hearers of his doctrine, and spec- 
tators of his miracles : but they were admitted to an inti- 
macy with him ; they had hberty at all times, and in all 
places, to converse with him, to propose their doubts, and 
to ask for his instructions ; they were at the source of wis- 
dom, truth, and life. St. Peter had these advantages not 
only in common with the rest of the apostles : but he, with 
James and John, were chosen from the rest of the apostles 
to accompany the Saviour, when, on particular occasions, 
he laid aside the vails which concealed him from the rest, 
and when he displayed his divinity in its greatest glory. 
A faith produced in such extraordinary circumstances, was 
not the work of flesh and blood, it was a production of that 
almighty grace, that ineffable love, which wrought the sal- 
vation of St. Peter, and others. 

My brethren, although we have never enjoyed the same 
advantages with St. Peter : yet, it seems to me, those whom 
God hath established in piety, may recollect the manner 
in which he hath improved some circumstances to form 



;i68 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or, 

the dispositions in them that constitute it. Let each turu 
his attention to the different conditions through which God 
hath been pleased to conduct him. Here I was exposed 
to such or such a danger, and dehvered from it by a kind 
of miracle ; there, I fell into such or such a temptation, 
from which I was surprjzingly recovered ; in such a year 
1 was connected with a baneful company, from which an 
unexpected event freed me ; at.another time, I met with a 
faithful friend, the most valuable of all acquisitions, whose 
kind advice and assistance, recommended by his own ex- 
ample, were of infinite use to me : some of these danger- 
ous states would have ruined me, if the projects, on which 
I was most passionately bent, had succeeded according to 
my wishes ; for they were excited by worldly objects, and 
I was infatuated with their glory ; and others would have 
produced the same effect, if my adverse circumstances had 
either increased or continued. I repeat it again, my breth- 
ren, each of us may recollect circumstances in his life in 
which a kind providence evidently interposed, and made 
use of them to tear him from the world, and thereby ena- 
bled him to adopt this comfortable declaration of Jesus 
Christ, " Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona ; for flesh and 
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which 
is in heaven.'* 

2. Let us remark the efforts which preceded faith. God 
hath been pleased to conceal the truth under veils, in or* 
der to excite our arduous industry to discover it. The 
obscurity, that involves it for a time, is not only agreeable 
to the general plan of providence, but it is one of the most 
singularly beautiful dispensations of it. If, then, you have 
attended to the truth only in a careless, indolent manner, 
instead of studying it with avidity, it is to be feared you 
have not obtained it ; at least, it maybe presumed, your 
attachment to it is less the work of heaven than of the 
world. But if you can attest you have silenced prejudice 
to hear reason, you have consulted nature to know the 
God of nature ; that, disgusted with the little progress you 
could make in that way, you have had recourse to revela- 
tion ; and that you have stretched your meditation, not only 
to ascertain the truth of the gospel, but to obtain a deep, tho- 
rough knowledge of it ; that you have considered this as 
the most important work to which your attention could be 
directed ; that you have sincerely and ardently implored 
Hie assistance of God to enable yon to succeed in your en- 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide* 26 § 

deavours ; that you have often knocked at the door of mer- 
cy to obtain it ; and that you have often adopted the senti- 
ments, with the prayer of David, and said, " Lord ! open 
thou mine eyes that f may behold wondrous things out of 
thy law t Psal. cxix. 18. If you can appeal to heaven for 
the truth of these practices, be you assured, your faith, 
like St Peter's, is not a production of flesh and blood, but 
a work of that grace which never refuseth itself to the 
sighs of a soul seeking it with so much vehement desire, 

3. The evidence that accompanies faith is our next arti- 
cle. People may sincerely deceive themselves ; indeed 
erroneous opinions are generally received on account of 
some glimmerings that hover around them, and dazzle the 
beholders. The belief of an error seems, in some cases, 
to be grounded on principles as clear as those of truth. It 
is certain, however, that truth hath a brightness peculiar 
to itself; an evidence, that distinguisheth it from whatever 
is not true. The persuasion of a man, who rests on demon- 
stration, is altogether different from that of him who is se- 
duced by sophisms. Evidence hath its prerogatives and 
its rights. Maintain who will, not only with sincerity, but 
with all the positiveness and violence of which he is capa- 
ble, that th«re is nothing certain ; I am fully persuaded 
that 1 have evidence, incomparably clearer, of the oppo- 
site opinion. In like manner, when I affirm that I have an 
intelligent soul, and that I animate a material body ; when 
I maintain that I am free, that the Creator hath given me 
the power of turning my eyes to the east, or t.o the west ; 
that while the Supreme Being, on whom I own I am en- 
tirely dependent, shall please to continue me in my pre- 
sent state, I niay look to the east or to the v/est, as I 
choose, without being forced by any superior power to 
turn my eyes toward one of these points, rather than to- 
wards the other : when I admit these propositions, 1 find 
mvseif guided by a brightness of evidence, which it is impos- 
sible to find in the opposite propositions. A sophist may 
invent some objections, which 1 cannot answer ; but he 
ran never produce reasons, that counterbalance those 
vhich determine me : he may perplex, but he can never 
i)ersuade me. In like manner, an infidel may unite every 
iirgument in favour of a system of infidehty ; a Turk may 
accumulate all his imaginations in support of Mahomme- 
<ii«m ; a Jew may do the same for Judaism ; and they may 

23* 



t/O Beauties of Primiiive Christianity, or^ 

silence me, but they can never dissuade me from chris- 
tianity. The religion of Jesus Christ hath peculiar proof. 
The brightness of that evidence, which guides the faith of 
a christian, is a guarantee of the purity of the principle 
from which it proceeds. 

4. Observe the sacrifices that crown the faith of a chris- 
tian. There are two sorts of these : the one comprehends 
some valuable possessions ; the other some tyrannical pas- 
sions. ReHgion requires sacrifices of the first kind in 
times of persecution, when the most indispensable duties of 
a christian are punished as atrocious crimes ; when men, 
under pretence of religion, let loose their rage against 
them who sincerely love religion, and when, to use our 
Saviour's style, they think to do service to God, John xvi. 

2. by putting the disciples of Christ to death. Happy 
they I who, among you, my brethren, have been enabled 
to make sacrifices of this kind ! You bear, I see, the marks 
of the disciples of a crucified Saviour ; 1 respect the cross, 
you bear, and I venerate jour wounds. Yet these are 
doubtful evidences of that faith which the grace of our 
heavenly Father produceth. Sometimes they even pro- 
ceed from a disinclination to sacrifices of the second kind. 
Infatuation hath made confessors ; vain glory hath produ- 
ced martyrs ; and there is a phenomenon in the church, 
the cross of casuists, and the most insuperable objection 
against the doctrines of assurance and perseverance ; that 
is, there are men, who, after the}^ have resisted the great- 
est trials, yield to the least ; men who, having at first fought 
like heroes, at last fly like cowards ; who, after they have 
prayed for their persecutors, for those who confined them 
in dungeons, who, to use the Psalmist's language, plowed 
upon their backs, arid made lung their furrows, Psal. cxxix. 

3. could not prevail with themselves on the eve of a Lord's 
supper-day to forgive a small offence ooa^mitted by a broth- 
er, by one of the household of faith. There have been 
men who, after they had resisted the tortures of the rack, 
fell into the silly snares of voluptuousness. There have 
been men who, after they had forsaken all their ample for- 
tunes, and rich revenues, were condemned for invading the 
property of a neighbour, for the sake of a trilling sum, 
that bore no proportion to that which they had quitted for 
the sake of religion. O thou deceitfid, and despeiately 
wicked heart of man ! O thou heart of man ! who can know 
thee! Jer. xvii. 9. Yet study thy heart, and thou wilt 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 271 

knov? it. Search out the principle from which thine ac- 
tions flow : Content not thyself with a superficial self-ex- 
aminatiop ; and thou wilt find, that want of courage to 
make a sacrifice of the last kind is sometimes that which 
produceth a sacrifice of the first. One passion indemni- 
fies us for the sacrifice of another. But to resign a pas- 
sion, the resignation of which no other passion requires ; 
to become humble without indemnif} ing pride by courting 
the applause that men sometimes give to humihty ; to re- 
Dounce pleasure without any other pleasure than that of 
pleasing the Creator; to make it our meat and drink, ac- 
cording to the language of scripture, *' to do the will of 
God ; to deny one's self: to crucify the flesh, with the af- 
fections and lusts ; to present the body a living sacrifice, 
holy, acceptable to God," John iv. 34. Matt. xvii. 24. 
Gal. V. 24. Rom. xii. I. these are the characters of that 
faith which flesh cannot produce ; that which is born of the 
fiesh isjltsh, John iii. 6. but a faith, which sacrificeth the 
flesh itself, is a production of the grace of the Father u hick 
is in heaven. 

5. To conclude, St. Peter's faith hath a fifth character, 
which he could not well discover in himself, before he had 
experienced his own frailty, but which we, who have a 
complete history of his life, may very clearly discern. 1 
ground the happiness of St. Peter, and the idea I form of 
his faith, on the very nature of his fcdl. Not that we ought 
to consider sin as an advantage, nor that we adopt the max- 
im of those who put sin among the all things which work 
together for good to them that love God, Rom. viii. 28. — 
Ah ! if sin be an advantage, may I be for ever deprived 
of such an advantage ! May a constant peace between my 
Creator and me for ever place me in a happy capacity of 
knowing the pleasure of reconciliation with him ! It is true, 
liowever, that we may judge by the nature of the falls of 
good men of the sincerity of their faith, and that the very 
obstacles which the remainder of corruption in them oppo- 
seth to their happiness, are, properly understood, proofs 
of the unchangeableness of their felicity. 

St, Peter fell into great sin after he had made the noble 
confession in the text. He committed one of tljose atro- 
cious crimes which terrify the conscience, trouble the joy 
of salvation, and which, sometimes, confound the elect with 
the reprobate. Of the same Jesus, to whom St. Peter said 
in the text, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God ; 



f 7£ Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

and elsewhere, We believe^ and are sure, that thou art thai 
Christ, the Son of the living God ; of the same Jasus he af- 
terward smd,Iknow not the man, John vi. S9. Matt. x:xvi, 
72. Ye know not the man ! And who, then, did you say, 
had the words of eternal life ? Ye know not the man 1 — 
And with whom, then, did you promise to^o to prison and 
to death ? Ye know not the man ! And whom have you fol- 
lowed, and whom did you declare to be the Son of the living 
God ? Notwithstanding this flagrant crime ; notwithstand- 
ing this denial, the scandal of all ages, and an eternal monu- 
ment of human weakness ; in spite of this crime, the sal- 
vation of Peter was sure ; he was the object of the pro- 
mise, " Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have 
*' you, that he may sift you as wheat : but 1 have prayed 
"' for thee that thy faith fail not," Luke xxii. 31, 32. And 
'* Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona," was not only true, 
but infallible. The very nature of his fall proves it. Cer- 
tain struggles, which precede the commission of .^in V 41 
certain infelicity, that is felt during the commission %f it ; 
above all, certain horrors which follow ; an inward voice, 
that cries. Miserable wretcV'. what hast thou done ? A 
certain hell, if I may venture so to express myself, a cer- 
tain hell, the flames of which divine love alone can kindle, 
characterize the falls of which I speak. 

This article is for you, poor sinners ! who are so hard to 
be persuaded of the mercy of God towards you ; who 
imagine the Deity sits on a tribunal of vengeance, sur- 
rounded with thunder and lightning, ready to strike your 
guilty heads. Such a faith as St. Peter's never fails. When, 
by examining your own hearts, and the histories of your 
own lives, you discover the characters which we have de- 
scribed, you may assure yourselves, that all the powers of 
hell united against your salvation can never prevent it. 
God forgive the man who abuseth this doctrine I God forgive 
the man who poisoneth this part of Christian divinity ! — 
God forgive the man who reasoneth in this execrable man- 
ner ! St. Peter committed an atrocious crime, in an un- 
guarded moment, when reason, troubled by a revolution 
of the senses, had lost the powers of reflection ; I Ih^re*^' 
fore risque nothing by committing sin coolly and delibe- 
rately. St. Peter disguised his Christianity for a moment, 
when the danger of losing his life made him lose sight of 
the reasons that induce people to confess their Christiani- 
ty : then I may disguise mine for thirty or forty years to- 



\ 



The. Auxiliary and Supplementar-y Guide, 275 

gether, and teach my family to act the same hypocritical 
part ; then I may hve thirty or forty years, without a 
church, without sacraments, without puhHc worship : — 
when I have an opportunity, I may loudly exclaim, Thoi^ 
ait the Ch^'ist^ the So7i of the living God ; and when that 
confession would injure my interest, or hazard my fortune, 
or my life, 1 may hold myself always in readiness to cry 
as loudly, / know not the man ; I may abjure that reli- 
gion which Jesus Christ preached, which my fathers seal- 
ed with their blood, and for which a cluud of witnesses, 
Heb. xii. 1. my contemporaries, and my brethren, went, 
some into banishment, others into dungeons, some to the 
gallies, and others to the stake. God forjive the man who 
reasoneth in this execrable manner. " Ah ! how shall I 
bless whom God hath not blessed 1" 

I repeat it again, such a faith as St. Peter's never fails, 
and the very nature of the falls of such a believer proves 
the sincerity and the excellence of his faith. We would 
not wish to have him banish entirely from his soul that fear 
which the Scriptures praise, and to which they attribute 
grand effects. A christian, an estabhshed christian I mean, 
ought to live in perpetual vigilance, he ought always to 
have these passages in his mind, " Be not high minded, 
'' but fear. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man 
'' take thy crown. When the righteous turneth away from 
"' his righteousness shall he hve ? All his righteousness 
• that he hath done shall not be mentioned, in his sin he 
-' shall die," Rom. xii. 20. Rev, ill. 1 1. and Ezek. xviii. 24. 
From these scriptures, such a Christian as 1 have describ- 
ed will not infer consequences against the certainty of his 
salvation ; but consequences directly contrary ; and there 
is a degree of perfection which enables a christian soldier, 
even in spite of temporary repulses in wars, to sing this tri- 
umphant song, " VVho shall separate me from the love ol 
'* Christ ? in all things, I am more than conqueror, 
'< through him that loved me ! Thanks be unto God, who 
^' always causeth me to triumph in Christ !" Rom. viii, 
35. 37. and 2 Cor. ii. 14. 

O I how amiable, my brethren, is Christianity ! How pro- 
portional to the wants of men! O t how delightful to re- 
collect its comfortable doctrine, in those sad moments, ia 
which sin appears, after we have fallen into it, in all its 
blackness and horror ! How delightful to recollect its com- 
fortable doctrine in those distressing periods, in which a 



214 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

guilty conscience driveth us to the verge of hell, holdeth 
as on the brink of the precipice, and obligeth us to hear 
those terrifying exclamations, which arise from the bot- 
tom of the abyss ; " The fearful, the unbelieving, the 
abominable, whoremongers, and all liars, shall have their 
part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone! 
Rev. xxi. 8. How happy then to be able to say, I have 
sinned indeed ! I have repeatedly committed the crimes, 
which plunge men into the lake that burneth with fire and 
brimstone ! 1 have repeatedly been fearful, and unclean ! 
perhaps I ma}^ be so again I Perhaps I may forget all the 
resolutions I have made to devote myself for ever to God I 
Perhaps I may violate my solemn oaths to my sovereign 
Lord ! Perhaps I may again deny my Redeemer 1 Per- 
haps, should 1 be again tried ^ith the sight of scaffolds and 
stakes, I might agam say, / know not the mnn 1 But yet, 1 
know I love him ! Nothing, I am sure, will ever be able 
to eradicate my love to him ! I know, if I love him^ it is 
because he first loved me, 1 John iv. 19. and I know, that he, 
having loved his own, who are in the worlds loved them un- 
to the end, John xiii. 1. 

O my God ! What would become of us without a reli- 
gion, that preached such comfortable truths to us ! Let us 
devote ourselves for ever to this religion, my brethren. 
The more it strengthens us against the horrors, which sin 
inspires, the more let us endeavor to surmount them by 
resisting sin. May you be adorned with these holy dispo- 
sitions, my brethren ! May you be admitted to the eternal 
pleasures, which they procure, and may each of you be 
able to apply to himself the declaration of Jesus Christ to 
St. Peter, " Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona ; for flesh 
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, 
who is in heaven." God grant you these blessings ! To 
bim be honor and glory for ever. Amen. 



The Jiuxiliary and Supplementary Chiide, 



CHAPTER LIII. 

ON THE NECESSITY OF UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE. 
JAMES ii. 10. 

IVhoever sliM keep the whole law^ and yet offend in one 
point, he is guilty of alL 

Were I obliged to give a title to this epistle, from which 
[ have taken my text, to distinguish it from the other book? 
of our sacred canon, I w^ould call it the paradoxes of St. 
James. It should seem, the apostle had no other design in 
writing than that of surprising his readers by unheard-of 
propositions, in the first chapter he subverts that notion 
ef religion, which is generally received both in the world 
and the church. To adore the God of heaven and earth, 
to receive his revelation, to acknowledge his Messiah, to 
partake of his sacraments, to burn with Z'eal for his wor- 
ship, this is usually called religion. No, says St. James, 
this is not religion ; at most this is only a small part of it : 
'* Religion consists in visiting the f itherle«JS and widows in 
their affliction, and in keeping himself unspotted from the 
world," ver. 27. In the second chapter he seems to take 
pains to efface the grand character of a christian, and of 
Christianity itself, and to destroy this fundamental truth of 
the gospel, " that man is justified by faith without the deeds 
of the law," Rom. iii. 28. *' No," says he, " man is not 
justified by faith onl}^ ; Abraham, our father, was justified 
by works," chap ii. 24. 21. and all christians are justified 
by works. In another place, St. James seems to place all 
religion in some minute and comp.^ratively inconsiderable 
articles, or, what comes to much the same, to teach, that 
the omission of some comparatively small duty ren iers the 
most pure and solid piety of no account. Levity of con- 
versation is one of these articles. How different, my 
brethren! is the morality of the scriptures from the mo- 
rality of the world! We often hear high encomiums of 
some people in company. Observe that man, say they, 
what a pattern of piety is he ! The church doors are hardly 
opened before he rushes into his se \t with eagerness and 
transport. In approaching the Lord's table he discovers, 
by every look and gesture a heart all inflamed with (li\ inr 



i76 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, er^ 

love. When his shepherds were smitten, and the sheej' 
scattered, the most difficult sacrifices became easy to him. 
Country, family, titles, riches, he left all with pleasure for 
the sake of following the divine steps of Jesus Christ in his 
sufferings. He can be reproved for no more than one little 
inadvertence, that is, he has a levity of conversation. But 
what says St. James of this man, who seems to have a right 
©f precedence in a catalogue of saints ? What does he say 
#)f this man, so diligent to attend public worship, so fervent 
at the Lord's supper, so zealous for religion ? He says, 
this man has no religion at all ; '' If any man among you 
seem to be rehgious, and bridleth not his tongue, this man's 
religion is vain," chap. i. 26. 

But without attending to all the paradoxes of St. James, 
let us attend to this in our text. Here is a principle thcil 
seems more likely to produce despair in our hearts than to 
promote virtue ; a principle which seems to aim at no less 
than the exclusion of the greatest saints on earth from hea- 
ven, and to oblige Moses, Elias, David, Paul, and other 
such eminent men to exclaim, " Who then can be saved !'' 
Matt. xix. 25. This principle is, that to sin against one 
article of the divine laws is to render one's self guilty of a 
breach of them all. Whosoever shall keep the -whole law, 
and yet offend in one pointy he is guilty of all. 

That you may the better enter into the spirit of our text, 
we have three sorts of reflections to propose to you. Bj 
the first we intend to fix the meaning of our apostle's pro- 
position, and to clear it from all obscurity. Our second 
class of reflections will be applied to enforce the sense that 
we shall give the text. The last will characterise those 
sinners who live in this dreadful state, who, by habitually 
offending in one point, render themselves guilty of an uni- 
versal subversion of the whole law of God ; and here we 
shall direct 3^ou how to use the text as a touchstone to dis- 
cover the truth or falsehood of your fliith, the sincerity or 
hypocrisy of your obedience. 

I. Let us ?iyi the sense of our apostle's proposition, and 
for this purpose let us answer two questions. 1. What 
kind of sin had St. James in view when he said. Whosoever 
shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point ? 2. 
Flow did he mean, that, by offending in one point, the of- 
fender was guilty of violating the whole law ? 

The meaning of the first depends partly on what pre- 
cedes the text. The apostle had been endeavouring to in- 



The Auxiliary and Supple nieniarij Guide, 277 

-pire christians with charity ; not with that partial chari- 
ty, which inclines us to pity and relieve the miseries of a 
few distressed neighbours, but with that universal love, 
which induces all the disciples of Christ to consider one 
another as brethren, and which, because all are united to 
God, unites all to one another, and teacheth each to consi^ 
der all as one compact body, of which love is the bond. 

The apostle enters into this subject by this exhortation. 
My brethren ! have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Lord of glory ^ ypith respect of persons,, ch. ii. 1. These 
words are rather difficult : but one of the ibllpwing sen- 
ses, I think, must be given to them. 1. Instead of trans- 
lating, have not the faith, we may Te£id, judge noi of faith 
hy appearance of persons ; that is to say, Do not judge 
what faith christians have in Jesus Christ, whom God hath 
elevated to the highest glory, by the rank, which they oc» 
cupy in civil society, by their attendants, and equipage, 
and habits. A man, who makes a very mean and contempt- 
ible appearance, a man all in rags is often a better chris- 
tian than he, whose Christianity, (so to speak,) is all set oft' 
with splendour, and grandeur, and fortune. 

Or rather, have not faith in the Lord of glory hy sheW'- 
ing a partial regard for the appearance of persons ; that is 
to say. Do not imagine yourselves beheveis, while you re- 
gard the appearance of persons Do not imagine, that 
true faith is compatible with that meanness of soul, which 
makes people susceptible of very deep impressions of es- 
teem at seeing a parade of human grandf^ur ; do not sup- 
pose, that the soul of a good man must necessarily pros- 
trate itself before pomp, and annihilate itself in the pre- 
sence of great men ; while he turns with disdain from the 
poor, infinitely greater for their piety than others for their 
pomp. A christinn beheving in Jesus Christ glorified, a 
christian persuaded that Jesus, his head, is elevated to the 
highest degree of glory, and hoping that he shall be short- 
ly exalted to some degree with him ; a christian, in whose 
mind such ideas are formed, ought not to entertain very 
high notions of earthly things, he ou^ht to esteem that in 
man, which constitutes his real greatness, that immortali- 
ty, which is a part of his essence, those hopes of eternal 
glory, at which he aspires, those erlorts, which he is mak- 
ing towards bearing the image of his Creator : such quali- 
ties deserve esteem, and not the empty advantages of far- 
tune. 

24 



27^ Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or. 

The apostle, having established this general maxim, ap 
plies it to a particular case ; but there are some difficulties 
in his manner of stating the case, as well as in the maxim 
to which he applies it. If there come unto your assembly a 
man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come 
hi also a poor man in vile raiment ; and ye have respect to 
him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou 
here in a good place ; and say to the poor y Stand thou there, 
or sit here under my footstool : Are ye not then partial in 
yourselvesy and are become judges of evil thoughts ? What 
assembly had the apostle in view here ? 

Some think he spoke of an assembly of judges, and 
by respect, or appearance oj persons, a spirit of par- 
tiality. They say, these words of St. James are sy- 
nonymous to those of God to Jewish judges by Moses. — 
*' Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor 
''^ honour the person of the mighty : but in righteous* 
ness shalt thou judge thy neighbour," Lev. xix. 15. — 
'* Ye shall not respect persons in judgment : but ye shall 
hear the small as well as the great,'' Deut. i. 16, 17.— 
They confirm this opinion, by quoting a canon of the Jews, 
which enacts, that when two persons of unequal rank ap- 
pear together in the Sanhedrim, one shall not be allowed 
to sit while the other stands ; but both shall either sit to- 
gether, or stand together, to avoid every shadow of par 
tiality. 

But, perhaps, our apostle spoke also of religious assem- 
blies, and intended to inform primitive christians, that 
where the distinctions of princes and subjects, magistrate? 
and people, were not known, there the rich would afi'ecl 
state, aspire to chief places, and gratify their senseless va- 
nity by placing the poor on their footstools, in order t<* 
make them feel their indigence and meanness. However 
the apostle might mean, whether he spoke of juridical as- 
semblies, or of religious convehtions ; of partial judgments, 
or of improper distinctions in the church, it is plain, he in- 
tended to preclude that veneration, which, in little souls^ 
riches obtain for their possessors, and that disdain which 
poverty excites in such minds for those whoai providence 
hath exposed to it. 

Among many reasons, by which he enforces his exhor- 
tation, that, which immediately precedes the text, is taken 
from charity, or benevolence. If ye fulfil the royal law, ac- 
cording to the scripture^ Thou shall love thy neighbour as^ 



'Die Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 2T9 

thyself ^ ye do xs)elL But if ye have respect to persons^ ye 
commit siiiy and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 
Then follow the words of the text, for whosoever shall keep 
the whole law, and yet offend in one poiiii^ he is guilty of 
all. 

It should seem at first, from the connection of the text 
with the preceding verses, that when St. James says, H^o- 
soever shall keep the whole law^ mid yet offend in one point, 
he is guilty of all, he means, by this one point, benevo- 
lence. However, I cannot think the meaning of -^t. James 
ought to be thus restricted, i rather suppose that he took 
occasion from a particular subject to establish a general 
maxim, that includes all sins, that come under the same 
description with that of which he was speaking. On this 
account after he has said, Whoever shall keep the whole law. 
and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, he adds, ybr 
he that said. Do not commit adultery, said, also. Do not kill ; 
he adds another example beside that of which he had been 
speaking. Consequently, be intended not only to speak 
of violation of the precepts of love ; but also of all others, 
which had the same characters. 

But in what light does he place this violation of the pre- 
cept of love ? He considers it as a sin committed with full 
consent, preceded by a judgment of the mmd, accompa- 
nied with mature deliberation, and to acertaic degree, ap- 
proved by hiQi who commits it. All these Ideas are con- 
tained in these words. Ye have respect to persons, ye are 
partial in yourselves, ye are judges of evil thoughts, ye have 
despised the poor. What the apostle affirms ol love in par- 
ticular, he affirms of all sins committed with the sanje dis- 
positions. Every sin committed with full consent, preceded 
by a judgment of the mind, accompanied with mature deli- 
beration ; every sin that conscience is made to approve 
during the commission of it ; every such sin is included in 
this maxim of our apostle, whosoever shall keep the whole 
law, and yet (ffend in one point, he is gnilty of all. 

In this manner divest the text of one vague notion, to 
which it may seem to have given occasion. We acquit 
the apostle of the charge of preaching a melancholy, cruel 
morality, and we affirm, for the comfort of weak and timo- 
rous painds, that we ought not to plac^. among the sins here 
intended, either momentary faults, daily frailties, or invo- 
lantary passions. 



2B0 Beaxiiies of Primiihe Christianity, or, 

J . By daihi frailties I mean those imperfections of piety, 
which are inseparable from the conditions of inhabitants of 
this world, which mix themselves with the virtues of the 
most emint-nt saints, and which, even in the highest exer- 
cises of the most fervid piety, make them feel that they 
are men, and that they are sinful men. By daily frailties 
I mean wanderings in prayer, troublesome intrusions of 
sensible objects, low 'Exercises of self-love, and many other 
infirmities, of which 3^ou,my dear brethren, have had too 
many examples in your own lives in times pa^t, and yet 
have too much experience in the tempers of your hearts 
every day. Infirmities of this kmd do not answer the 
black description which St. James gives of the offence men- 
tioned in the text. A good man, who is subject to these 
frailties, for from approving the sad necessity, that carries 
him off from his duty, deplores it. In him they are not 
conclusions from principles, laid down with full consent ; 
they are sad effects of that imperfection, which God had 
thought proper to leave in our knowledge and holiness, 
and which will remain as long as we continue to languish 
life away in this valley of tears. To say all in one word^ 
they are rather an imperfection essential to nature, than a 
direct violation of the law. 

2. We ought not to number momentary faults among the 
offences, of vriiich it is said, Whosoever committeth one is 
guilty of a violQtioa nf the vvholp law. Where is the re- 
generate man, where is the s.iint, where is the saint of the 
highest order, who can assure himself, he shall never fall in- 
to some sins ? Where is the foith so firm as to promise »ever 
to tremble at the sight of racks, stakes, and gibbets ? Where 
is that christian heroism, which can render a man invulne- 
rable to some fiery darts, with which the enemy of our salva- 
tion sometimes assaults us ; and, (what is still more unattain- 
able by human firmness) where is that christian heroism 
which can render a man invulnerable to some darts of vo- 
luptuousness, which strike the tenderest parts of nature, 
and excite those passions which are at the same time the 
most turbulent and the most ^cgreeable ? A believer falls 
into such sins only in those sad moments in which he is 
surprised unawares, and in which he loses in a manner the 
power of rellecting and thinking. If there remain any 
liberty of judgment amidst the phrenzy, he employs it to 
recall his reason, which is fleeing ; and to arouse his vir- 
tne> that sleeps in spite of all his efforts. All rhnined a^ 



llie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 281 

he is by the enemy, he makes efforts, weak indeed, but 
yet earnest, to disengage himself. The pleasures of sin^ 
even when he most enjoys them, and while he sacrificeth 
his piety and innocence to them, are imbittered by the in- 
ward remorse that rises in his regenerate soul. While he 
delivers himself up to the temptation and the tempter, he 
complains, O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death ? Rom. vii. 24. When the 
charm has spent its force, when his fascinated eyes reco- 
ver their sight, and he sees objects again in their true point 
of light, then conscience reclaims its rights ; then he de- 
tests what he had just before admired ; then the cause of 
his joy becomes the cause of his sorrow and terror ; and 
he prefers the pain, anguish, and torture of repentance, 
before the most alluring attractives of sin. 

3. We will venture one step further. We affirm that 
i^usts of involuntary passions ought not to be included in 
the number of sins of which St. James saith, Whosoever 
qff'endeth in one pointy he is guilty of alL God placeth us 
ill this world as in a state of trial. We are all born with 
some passions, which it is our duty to attack and mortify ; 
but from which we shall never be sble to free ourselves 
entirely. The soul of one is united to a body, naturally 
so modified as to incline him to voluptuousness. Another 
soul has dispositions naturally inclining it to avarice, pride, 
envy, or jealousy. It is in our power to resist these pas- 
sions ; but to have, or not to have them, when we come 
into the world, doth not depend on us. We ought not al- 
ways to judge of our state b}' the enemy whom we have to 
encounter : but by the vigilance with which we resist 
him. In spite of some remains of inclination to pride, we 
may become humble, if we endeavour sincerely and heart- 
ily to become so. In spite of natural inclinations to ava- 
rice, we may become generous by endeavouring to become 
so, and so of the rest. Involuntary passions, when we 
zealously endeavour to restrain them, ought to be consi- 
dered as exercises of our virtue prescribed by our Crea- 
tor ; and not as criminal effects of the obstinacy of the 
creature. The sins, into a commission of which they be- 
guile us, ought always to humble us ; indeed they would 
involve us in eternal misery, were we not recovered by 
repentance after having fallen into them : but neither they, 
nor transient offences, nor daily frailties, ought to l\3 reck- 
oned among those sins, of which St. James says, he who of- 

24* 



^82 Beauties of Primitive Christianity ^ or^ 

fendeth in one pointy is guilty of all. The sins of which 
the apostle speaks, are preceded by the judgment of thf 
mind, accompanied with mature deliberation, and approv- 
ed by conscience. Thus we have divested the text of one 
vague meaning to which it may seem to have given occa- 
sion. 

But in what sense may it be affirmed of any sin, that he 
who off^endeth in one point ^ is guilty of all ? The nature of 
the subject must answer this second question, and enable 
us to reject the false senses, that are given to the proposi- 
tion of our apostle. It is plain, St. James neither meant 
to establish an equality of sins, nor an equality of punish- 
ments. It is evident, that as sins are unequal among men, 
so justice require an inequality of purtshment. The man 
who adds murder to hatred, is certniniv more guilty than 
he who restrains his hatred, and trembles at a thought of 
murder. He whose hatred knows no bounds, and who 
endeavours to assuage it with murder, will certainly be 
punished more rigorously than the former. 

What then was the apostle's meaning ? He probably had 
two views, a particular and a general view. The particu- 
lar design might regard the theological system of some 
Jews, and the general design might regard the moral sys- 
tem of too many christians. 

Some Jews, soon after the Apostle's time, and very like- 
ly in his days, affirmed, that God gave a grerit many pre- 
cepts to men, not that he intended to oblige them to the 
observance of all, but that they might have an opportunity 
of obtaining salvation hy observing any one of them ; and 
it was one of their maxims^ that he who diligently kept 
one command, -was thereby free^l from the necessity of 
observing the rest. Agreeably to this notion, a famous 
Rabbi expounds these words in Hoi^ea, Take oway all in- 
iquity^ and give good,, that is, according to the hlse notion 
of our expositor, pardon our sins, and accept our zeal for 
one precept of thy law. What is still more remrirkable, 
when the Jews choose a precept, ihey usually choose one 
that gives the least check to their favourite passions, and 
one that is least essential to religion, as some ceremonial 
precept. This, perhaps, is what Jesus Christ reproves in 
the Pharisees and Scribes of his time, '' Wo unto you, 
Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ; for ye pay tithes of 
mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weigh- 
tier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith ; these 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 283 

ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other un- 
done," Matt, xxiii. 23. Perhaps these words of our Sa- 
viour, may be parallel to those of St. James. The apostle 
had been recommending love, and at length he tells the 
Jews, who, in the style of Jesus Christ, omitted m^rcy, 
that whosoever should keep the whole law^ and yet qff^end in 
this one point, would be guilty of all. 

But, as we observed just now, St. James did not intend to 
restrain what he said to love. If he had a particular view 
to the theological system of some Jews, he had also a general 
view to the morality of many christians, whose ideas of 
devotion are too contracted. He informs them, that a 
virtue incomplete in its parts, cannot be a true virtue. He 
affirms, that he who resolves in his own mind to sin, and 
who forces his conscience to approve vice while he com- 
mits it, cannot in this manner violate one single article of 
the law without enervating the whole of it. A man cannot 
be truly chaste without being humble, nor can he be truly 
humble without being chaste. For the same reason no 
man can deliberately violate the law that forbids anger, 
without violating that which forbids avarice ; nor can any 
man violate the law which forbids extortion, without viola- 
ting that which forbids impurity. All virtues are natural- 
ly united together, and mutually support one another. 
The establishment of one unjust maxim authorizeth all 
unjust maxims. This is the meaning of the proposition in 
our text. Whosoever qff^endeth in one pointy is guilty of all. 

Hitherto we have only explained the sense of our text, 
it now remains to be proved. -The proposition of our 
apostle is founded on three principal reasons. He, 
who sins in the manner just now described; he, whose 
mind resolves to sin, and who forces his conscience to ap- 
prove, vice while he commits it, sins against all the pre- 
cepts of the law, while he seems to sin against only one. 
1. Because he subverts, as far as he can, the foundation 
of the law. 2. Because, although he may not actually vio- 
late all the articles of the law, yet he violates them virtu- 
ally, I mean to say, his principles lead to an actual viola- 
tion of all the precepts of the law. 3. Because we mav 
presume, he, who violates the law virtually, will actually 
violate it, when it suits him to do so. These three reasons 
establish the truth of our apostle's proposition, and justify 
the sense, that we have given it. The discussion of these 
three reasons will be the second part of our discourse. 



284 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or^ 

II. He who violates one precept of the law in the man- 
xier just now described, violates all ; because, first, he sub- 
verts, as far as in him lies, the very foundation of the law. 
This will clearly appear by a comparison of vice with error, 
heresy with disobedience. There are two sorts of errors 
and heresies ; there are some errors which do not subvert 
the foundation of faith, and there are other errors that do 
subvert it. If, after I have honestly and diligently endeavour- 
ed to understand a passage of scripture proceeding from 
the mouth of God, I give it a sense different from that 
which is the true meaning of it ; if 1 give it this sense, not 
because 1 dispute the authority of an infallible God, but 
because I cannot perceive that it ought to be taken in any 
ether sense tiian that in which 1 understand it, I am indeed 
in an error, but by falling into this error I do not subvert 
the foundation on which my faith is built. I alwaj^s sup- 
pose the authority and infallibility of God, and I am ready 
to renounce my error as soon as I am convinced that it i« 
contrary to divine revelation. 

Bnt if, after it has been made to appear with irrefraga- 
ble evidence, that my error is contrary to divine revela- 
tion, and if, moreover, after it has been made to appear 
that revelation came from God, I persist in my error, then, 
by sinning against one point \ become guilty of all ^ because, 
by denying one single proposition of revelation, 1 deny that 
foundation on which all other propositions of revelation 
are built, that is, the infallibility and veracity of that God 
who speaks in our scriptures. I put ir^ the place of God 
my reason, my wisdom, my tutor, my minis^ier, whomever 
or whatever determines me to prefer my error before that 
truth, which I am convinced is clearly revealed in a book 
that came from heaven. 

In like manner there are two sorts of vices, some which 
do not subvert the foundation of our obedience to the law* 
of God, and others that do. In the tirst class are those sins 
which we have enumerated, daily infirmities, transient 
faults, and involuntary passions, in the second class ought 
to be placed those sins of deliberation and reflection, of 
which we just now spoke, and which our aJ3ostle had in 
view. These sins strike at the foundation of our obedi- 
ence to the laws of God. 

What is the ground of our obedience to the divine laws ? 
When God gives us laws, he may be considered under 
either of three relations, or under all the three together \ 



IVie Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 263 

iS a sovereign, as a legislator, as a father. Our obedience 
10 God, considered as a sovereign, is founded on his infi- 
nite authority over us, and on our obhgation to an entire 
and unreserved submission to him. Our obedience to God 
as a legislator is founded on his perfect equity. Our obe- 
dience to God as a Father is founded on the certain advan- 
tages which they who obey his laws derive from them, 
and on a clear evidence that because he ordains them, 
they must be essential to our happiness. Now he who 
sins coolly and deliberately against one single article, saps 
these three foundations of the law. He is, therefore, 
:^uilty of a violation of the whole law. 

He saps the foundation of that obedience which is due 
to God considered as a master, if he imagine, he may make 
and reserve in his obedience ; if he say, 1 will submit to 
God, if he command me to be humble, but not if he com- 
mand me to be chaste ; and so on. He saps the founda- 
tion of that obedience which is due to God considered as 
a lawgiver, if he imagine God is just in giving such and 
such a law, but not in prescribing such and such other 
laws ; if he suppose God is just when he appoints him to 
educate and provide for an only son, but that he ceaseth 
to do right when he commands him to sacrifice him, ad- 
dressing him in this terrifying style, Take no'w thy son, and 
offer him for a burnt offering up07i one of the mountains 
which I will tell thee of , Gen. xxii. 2. He subverts the 
foundation of obedience to God as a father, if he suppose 
that God hath our happiness in view in requiring us to re- 
nounce some passions, but that he goes contrary to our in- 
terests by requiring us to sacrifice some other passions, 
which he may suppose can never be sacrificed without 
sacrificing at the same time his pleasure and felicity. 

H^ who sins in this manner, attributes to the objects 
which induce him to sin, excellencies that can be in none 
but the Creator. He says. It is not God who is my master, 
my sovereign : It is the world, it is my company, it is my 
custom. He says, It is not God who is just : Justice is the 
property of my passions, my anger, my vengeance. He 
says, It is not God who is the source of my true happiness : 
it is my gold, my silver, my palace, my equipage, my Da- 
lilah, my Drusilla. To offend in one point in this sense is 
to be guilty of all ; because it subverts the foundation on 
which our obedience is built. And this reason is empha- 
tically assigned by St. James in the verses that follow the 



jir86 Beauties of Primitive Christianity^ or, 

text, Wfiosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet qffeiid ia 
one point, he is guilty of all ^ for, adds the apostle, He that 
said, do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. JN^07i: 
if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art hecomt 
a transgressor of the law, 

2. The man who offends in the manner that we havt^ 
described, he who in his mind resolves to sin, and endea- 
vours to force his conscience to approve vice, while he 
commits it, breaks all the precepts of the law, because, 
whether he do actually break them or not, he breaks them 
virtually, and intentionally. He violates precepts of ge- 
nerosity, but he does not fall into debauchery. Why ? Is 
it because he respects the divine laws which prohibit de- 
bauchery ? No, but because, not being alike inclined to 
both these vices, he enjoys le»s pleasure in excess than in 
avarice. Could he find as much pleasure in violating the 
laws that prohibit excess, as he finds in violating those 
which forbid avarice, then, the same principle that impels 
him now to an incessant, immoderate love of gain, would im- 
pel him to drown his reason in wine, and to plunge himself 
into all excesses. By violating, then, laws commanding 
generosity, he violates, if not actually, yet virtually, laws 
prohibiting debauchery. What keeps him from violating 
the laws that forbid clamour and dissipation, is not respect 
for that God who commands recollection, retfeat, and si- 
lence : but he affects these, because he has less aversion 
to retirement and silence, than he has to noise, clamour, 
and dissipation. Had he as much dislike of the first, as he 
has of the last, then, the same principle that now induces 
him to be always alone, always either inaccessible or mo- 
rose, would induce him to be always abroad, always avoid- 
ing a sight of himself by fleeing from company to company, 
from one dissipation to another. As, therefore, he does 
not obey the law that enjoins silence by his perpetual so- 
litude, so he virtually annihilates the law that forbids dis- 
sipation ; and here again to offend in one point is to be 
guilty of all. 

In fine, he who offends in the manner that we have ex- 
plained, he whose mind determines to sin, and who en- 
deavours to force his conscience to approve his practice, 
sins against all the precepts of the law, while he seems to 
offend only in one point, because there is sufficient reason 
to believe, he will some time or other actually break those 
laws, which now he breaks only intentionally. Here, my 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 28T 

brethren, I wish each of you would recollect the mortify- 
ing history of his own life, and reflect seriously on those 
passions which successively took place in you, and which 
by turns exercise their terrible dominion over all them 
who are not entirely devoted to universal obedience. — 
What proceeds only from a change of circumstances, we 
readily take for a reformation of manners ; and we often 
fancy we have made a great progress in holiness, when we 
have renounced one vice, although we have only laid aside 
this one to make room for another that seemed opposite to 
it, but which was a natural consequence of the first. — - 
What elevates you to-day into excesses of ungoverned 
joy, is your excessive love of pleasure. Now, it is natu- 
ral to suppose this excessive love of pleasure which ele- 
vates you into immoderate joy, now that the objects of your 
pleasure are within your reach, will plunge you into depths 
of melancholy and despair, when you are deprived of those 
objects. That which induces you to-day to slumber in 
carnal security, is your inability to resist the first impres- 
sions of certain objects ; but, if you know not how to re- 
sist to-day the impressions of such objects as lull you into 
security, you will not know how to resist to-morrow the 
impressionsof other objects which will drive you to des- 
pair ; and so this very principle of non-resistance, if I may 
so call it, which makes you quiet to-day, will make you 
desperate to-morrow. There is no greater security for 
our not falling into one vice, than our actual abstinence 
from another vice. There is no better evidence that we 
shall not practice the sins of old men, than our not commit- 
ting the sins of youth. Prodigality is the vice of youth, and 
not to be profuse in youth is the best security that we shall 
not in declinmg life fall into avarice, the vice of old age.— 
May one principle animate all your actions, a principle of 
obedience to the laws of God 1 then what keeps you from 
liaughtiness, will preserve you from meanness ; what saves 
you from the seduction of pleasure, will preserve you from 
sinking under pain ; what keeps you from inordinate love 
to an only son, while it pleased God to spare him, will 
keep you from immoderate disquietude, when God thinks 
proper to take him away. But a man, who deliberately 
offends in one point, not only offends intentionally against 
all the articles of the law ; but, it is highly probable, he 
will actually violate all articles one after another ; because, 
when universal esteem for all the laws of God is not laid 



£-88 ■ Beauties of Primitive Christianity y or, 

clown as the grand principle of religious action, the passions 
are not corrected, they are only deranged, one put in the 
place of another ; and nothing more is necessary to com 
plete actual, universal wickedness, than a change of vice:- 
with a change of circumstances. 

All this is yet too vague. We have, indeed, endeavour- 
ed to explain, and to prove the proposition of our apostle : 
but unless we enter into a more minute detail, we shall 
derive very little advantage from this discourse. Those of 
our auditors who have most reason to number themselves ' 
with such as sin deliberately, will put themselves in the op- 
posite class. The most abandoned sinners will call their 
own crimes either daily frailties, or transient faults, or in- 
vohmtary passions. We must, if it be possible, take away 
this pretext of depravity, and characterise those sins which 
we have named &\ns of rejlection, deliberation, and appro- 
batio7i ; sins which place him who commits them precisely 
in the state intended by our apostle ; he offends in one 
point, and his disposition to do so renders him guilty of to- 
tal and universal disobedience. This is our third part, and 
the conclusion of this discourse. 

III. St. James pronounces in our text a sentence of con- 
demnation agaiest three sorts of sinners. 1. Against such 
as are engaged in a way of life sinful of itself 2. Against 
such as cherish a favorite passion. 3. Against persons of 
unteachable dispositions. 

1. They who are engaged in a way of life sinful of itself, 
are guilty of a violation of the whole law, while they seem 
to oftend only in one point. 

We every day hear merchants and traders ingenuously 
confess, that their business cannot succeed unless they de- 
fraud the government. We will not examine whether 
their assertion be true ; we will suppose it to be as they 
say ; and we affirm, that a trade which necessarily obliges 
a man to violate a law so express as ihat of paying tribute 
to government, is bad of itself That disposition of mind 
which induces a nran to follow it, ought not to be ranked 
either with those human frailties, transient faults, or in- 
voluntary passions, which we have enumerated, and for 
which evangelical abatements are reserved. This is a 
blow struck at legislative authority. What, then, ought a 
merchant to do, who is engaged in a commerce which ne- 
cessarily obligeth him to violate a law of the state concern- 
ing impost ? He ought to give up his commerce, and to 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide. 28 r^ 

r^uit a way of living which he knows is iniquitous in itself, 
if he cannot prevail with himself to make this sacrifice, 
all his hopes of being saved are fallacious. 

VVe every day hear military men affirm, that it is im- 
possible to wear a sword with honour, without professing 
to be always disposed to revenge, and to violate all laws hu- 
man and divine which forbids duelling. We do not in 
quire the truth of the assertion, we suppose it true. We 
do not examine, whether prudence could not in all cases 
suggest proper means to free men from a tyrannical point 
of honour ; or whether there really be any cases, in which 
gentlemen are indispensably obliged, either to quit the ar- 
my, or to violate the precepts that command us to give up 
a spirit of resentment. We only affirm, that a military 
man, who const mtly and deliberately harbors a design o: 
always avenging himself in certain cases, is in this, misera- 
ble list of sinners, who, by offending in one pointy are guil- 
tyofalL We do not affirm, that he would be in the guilty 
condition, if he could not promise to resist a disposition to 
revenge in every future moment of his life ; we only af- 
firm that he is guilty of a violation of the whole law, if he 
do not sincerely and uprightly resolve to resist this incli« 
nation. You cannot be a christian without having a fixed 
resolution to seal the truths of the gospel with your blood, 
if it please providence to call you to martyrdom. Yoo 
cannot, however, promise, that the sight of racks and 
stakes shall never shake your resolution, nor ever induce 
you to violate your sincere determination to die for reli- 
gion, if it should please providence to expose you to death 
on account of it It is sufficient for the tranquillity of your 
conscience, that ^ou have formed a resolution to suffer 
rather than deny the fiith. In like manner, we do not af- 
firm, that a military man is guilty of the offence with which 
we have charged him, if he cannot engage never to be 
carried away with an excess of passion inclining him to re- 
venge ; we only say, if he coolly determine alwaj'^s to 
avenge hinself in certain cases, he directly attacks the au- 
thority of the lawgiver. He rffendeth in one point, and he ii 
guilty of all. If a man cannot profess to bear arms with- 
out harbouring a A^ecl intention of violating all laws humac 
and divine, th »[ prohibit duelling, even to those who re- 
ceive :he most cruel affronts, either the profession of arm? 
or the hope of salvation must be given up. No man in the 

25 



290 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

army can assure himself that he is in a state of grace, un- 
less his conscience attests, that he will avoid, with all possi- 
ble circumspection, every case in which a tyrannical point 
of honour renders revenge necessary ; and that, if ever he 
be, in spite of all his precautions, in such a case, when he 
must either resign his military employments, or violate the 
laws that forbid revenge, h3 will obey the law, and resign 
his military honours. 

It is too often seen, that our relation to some offenders 
inspires us with indulgence for their offences. This kind 
of temptation is never more difficult to surmount than when 
we are called to bear a faithful testimony concerning the 
state of our brethren, who refuse to sacrifice their fortune 
and their country to relig'. on and a good conscience. But 
what relation is so near 5 to pre-occupy our minds to 
such a degree as to prevekii our considering the life of such 
a person, as it really is, b^-d in itself; or what pretext can 
be plausible enough to authorise it ? We have sounded in 
their ears a thousand times these thundering words of the 
Son of Go], Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my 
zi'ords^ of him shall the Son of man he ashamed, when he shall 
come in his o^in glory ^ and in his Father^ s, and of the holy 
angels, Luke ix. 26. He ikatloveth father or mother, son 
or daughter, and, we may add, he that loveth houses or 
lands, ease, riches, or honours, more than me, is notworthy 
of me, Matt. x. 37. We have summoned them by the sa- 
cred promises and solemn engagements, which some of 
them have entered into at the table of the Lord, while they 
partook of the significant symbols of the body and blood of 
the Saviour, to devote themselves to the glory of God, and 
the edification of his church. We have unveiled their 
hearts, and shewn them how the artfulness of their inge- 
nious passions exculpated their conduct, by putting spe- 
cious pretexts in the place of s^lid reasons. We have re- 
proved them for pretend mg. that they dare not face the 
danger of attempting to flee, when lii^ government for^ 
bade their quitting the kingdom ; and now liberty is grant- 
ed, for making that a reason for staying. We have de- 
scribed the numerous adv?intages of public worship ; we 
have proved, that the preaching: of the gospel is, if I may 
speak so, the food of Christi,. ^ virtues ; and that, when 
people have accustomed them^felves to live without the 
public exercises of religion, the y insensibly lose that deli- 
cacy of conscience, without which they cannot either be 



The Auxiliary and Supplemejitary Guide, 291 

5«od christians, or, what are called in the world, men of 
honour and probity ; we have demonstrated this assertion 
by an unexceptionable argiimen: taken from experience ; 
we have said, Observe that man, who was formerly so ve- 
ry scrupulous of retaining: the property of his neighbour ; 
see, he retains it now without any scruple : observe those 
parents, who were formerl}^ so tender of their children ; 
see now with what inhumanity they leave them to struggle 
with want. We have represented to them, that to reside 
where the spirit of persecution is only smothered, not ex- 
tinguished, is to betray religion, by exposing the friends of 
it to the hazard of being martyred, without having any as- 
surance of being possessed with a spii'it of martyrdom ; — 
and we have endeavoured to convince them, that he who 
flatters himself he shall be able to undergo martyrdom, and 
lives where he is liable to it, while Providence opens a 
way of escape, is presumptuous in Uie highest degree, and 
exposeth himself to such misery as the ?on of Sirach de- 
nounces, when he says, He ihat loveth danger shall perish 
iherein, Eccl. iii. 26. Not having been able to move 
them by motives taken from their own interest, we have 
tried to affect them with the interest of their children. We 
have told them, that their posterity will live without any 
religion, that they will have too much knowledge to ad- 
here to superstition, and too little to profess the true reli- 
gion ; and this sad prophecy ha^^^ been already verified in 
their families. To all these den.onstrationji they are in- 
sensible ; they wilfully shut their eyes against the light; 
they gu:.\rd themselves against the force of these exhorta- 
tions ; they are forging new letters for themselves, which 
will confine them to a place, of whici God has said. Come 
out of her, my people ! that ye be Jiot partakers of her sins, 
and ihat ye receive not of her plagues, Rev. xviii. 4. — 
They build, they plant, they marry, they give in marriage, 
and they also have abused the patience of the godly, 
by whom they have been invited ^o repent. 1 ask 
again, what relation can be so near as to prevail with us to 
put this kindof lile among the frailties, for which evange- 
lical abatements are reserved. 

Let us all, as far as providential circumstances will al- 
low, follow a profession compatible with our duty. Let us 
do more, let us endeavour so to arrange our affairs that 
our professions may stimulate us to obedience,' and thai 
♦•very thing around us may direct our attention to God. 



t^y2 Beauties of Primitive Cliristianity ^ or^ 

Alas ! in spite of all our precautions, sin will too ofter^ 
carry us away ; we shall too often forget our Creator, 
how loud soever every voice around us proclaims his be- 
aeficence to us, and his excellencies in himself But how 
great will our defection be, if our natural inclinations be 
strengthened by the engagements of our condition ! A kind 
of life wricked of itself is the first sort of sin of which mv 
■cxt says, Whosoever qff^eiidetk in one point is guilty of alL 

2. In the same class we put sinners, who cherish a dar-^ 
Hng passion. Few hearts are so depraved as to be inclin- 
ed to ail excesses. Few souls are so insensible to the 
grand interest of their salvation, as to be unwilling to do 
any thing toward obtaining salvation. But, at the same 
lime, where is the heart so renewed as to have. no evil 
disposition ? And how few christians are there, who love 
their salvation so as to sacrifice all to the obtaining of it * 
The offender, of \T-hom we speaK, pretends to compounci 
with his lawgiver. Is he inclined to avarice ? he will 
say, Lord 1 allow me to gratify my love of money, and 1 
am ready to give up my disposition to revenge. Is he in- 
clined to revenge ? Lord i allow me to be vindictive, and 
i will sacrifice my avarice. Is he disposed to voluptuous- 
ness ? Lord ! suffer me to retain my Drusilla, and my 
Delilah, and my vengeance, my ambition, my avarice, every 
thing else, 1 will sacrifice to thee. 

A favourite passion is inconsistent with the chief virtue 
of Christianity, with that, which is thf life and soul of all 
others, I mean that love of God, which places God su- 
preme in the heart. A just God will accept none of 
our homage, while we refuse him that of oui chief love. 
All the sacrifices that we can offer him to purchase a right 
10 retain a darling sin, are proofs of the empire which that 
sin hath over us, and of our fixed resolution to free our- 
selves from the law of him, who would be, as he ought to 
be, the supreme object of our love. Do not fancy, that 
what we have s^aid concerning involuntary passions is ap- 
plicable to darling sin, and exculpates a fivourite passion. 
One man, whose involuntary passions sometimes hurr^ 
him away, detests his own disposition ; but the other 
cherishes his. One makes many an arduous attempt to cor- 
rect his error : the other engages to do so ; but he makes 
promises pass for performances, and means to get rid of the 
last by professing the first One considers the grace that 
fears the deplorable passion from his heart as a most desi- 



T/i€ Auxiliary and Supple meriiary Guide. 293 

lable benefit ; and even, while he falls into his sin, he consi- 
ders it as the greatest misfortune of his life : the other re- 
gards him as a mortal enemy who endeavours to prevail 
with him to renounce a passion, in the gratification of 
which all his happiness depends. 

Let us lav down the love of God as a foundation of all 
virtue. Let us love him chiefly, who is supremely lovely. 
Let our hearts adopt the language of the psalmist, Access 
to God is my supreme good. Whom have I in heaven but 
iheCy and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee, 
Fsal. Ixxiii. 25. Let as consider and avoid, as acts of 
idolatry, all immoderately lively and affectionate emotions 
''Jov-" to creatures. Let us entertain only a small degree 
.achment to objects, which at most can procure us on- 
ly a momentary felicity. A favourite passion is a second 
disposition of mind, that renders us guilty of a violation of 
the whole law, even while we seem to violate it only in 
an inconsiderable part. 

3. Finally, Intractable minds ^re condemned in our text. 
Docility is a touchstone, by which a doubtful piety may 
be known to be real or apparent. The royal prophet de- 
scribes in the fiftieth psalm such a rigid observer of the 
exterior of religion as we speak of; a man who has the 
name of God always in his mouth, and is ever talking of 
the holiness of his laws ; a man always ready to offer 
whole hecatombs in sacrifice ; but who has not patience 
to hear a representation of his duty, and an exhortation to 
perform it. The psalmist declares, all this appearance 
of devotion, if unaccompanied with docility, is useless, 
yea, more likely to arouse the anger ol God than to obtain 
his favour. Thou wicked z^retch ! says he, in the name of 
God, to this phantom of piety, who imposes on the church 
by his outward appearance, and who, perhaps, imposeth 
on himself; Thou wicked man, what hast thou to do to de^ 
dare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in 
thy mouthy seeing thou hatest instruction ? ver. 16. He 
authoriseth us to use the same language to some of you. 
Why this assiduity at church, why this zeal on solemn fes- 
tivals, why this fervour at the Lord's table, seeing you are 
unteachable ; seeing you love none but vague maxims of 
virtue and holiness ; seeing you will not allow your casuist 
to enter into some details ; seeing every man loses your 
favour, if he hints your foibles ; seeing your tenderest 
and most faithful friend would become suspected directly, 

25* 



^'94 Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 

yea, would seem an impertinent censor, the moment he 
should discover your faults, and endeavour to make you 
acknowledge and reform them ? 

My brethren, if we love virtue, we love all the means 
that lead to it, and with peculiar pleasure behold them 
who recommend it. Nothing is more opposite to that ge« 
neral devotedness to the laws of God which my text pre- 
scribes, than a spirit inimical against them who have the 
courage to control the passions. " He that turneth away 
his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be 
abomination," Prov. xxviii. 9. " Whoso loveth instruc- 
tion loveth knowledge," chap. xii. 1. '* The law of the 
wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares oi 
death," chap. xiii. 14. '' Let the righteous smite me, it 
shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me, it shall be 
an excellent oil, which shall not break my head," PsaL 
cxli. 5. May God always continue a succession of such 
righteous men, and may he incline our hearts to profit bv 
their instructions 1 To him be honour and glory for ever. 
\men. 

CHAPTER LIV. 

A71 exhortation to praise God, to seek him, and remember 
his works, God^s providence over Jlbraham, over Joseph, 
over Israel in Egypt, over Moses delivering the Israelites^ 
and over his people brought out of Egypt , fed in the wilder- 
ness, and planted in Canaan. 

O give thanks unto the Lord ; call upon his name ; 
make known his deeds among the peoplo. Sing unto him, 
sing psalms unto him : talk ye of idl his wondrous works. 
Glory ye in his holy name : let the heart of them rejoice 
that seek the Lord. 

Seek the Lord, and his strength ; seek his face ever- 
more. Remember his marvellous works that he hath 
done ; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth ; O 
ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his 
chosen. 

He is the Lord our God ; his judgments are in all the 
earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the 
word which he commanded to a thousand generations : 
Which covenant he made with Abraham ; and his oath 



^ The Auxiliary and SupphmentaTi^y Guide, 295 

unto Isaac ; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, 
and to Israel for an everlasting covenant ; saying, Unto 
thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheri- 
tance : When they were but a few men in number ; yea. 
very few, and strangers in it. 

When they went from one nation to another, from one 
kingdom to another people, he suffered no man to do them 
wrong : yea, he reproved kings for their sakes f saying, 
touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.— 
x^Ioreover, he called for a famine upon the land ; he brake 
the whole staif of bread. 

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold 
for a servant ; Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was 
laid in iron, until the time that his word came : the word 
of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him ; 
even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He 
made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance ; 
to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators 
wisdom. 

Israel also came into Egypt ; and Jacob sojourned in 
the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly, 
and made them stronger than their enemies. He turned 
their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his 
servants. 

He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had 
chosen. They shewed his signs among them, and won- 
ders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it 
dark ; and they rebelled not against his word. 

He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. 
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the cham- 
bers of their kings He spake, and there came divers 
sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. He gave them 
hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. 

He smote their vines also and their fig trees ; and brake 
I he trees of their coasts. He spake, and the locusts came, 
and caterpillars, and that without number. And did eat 
up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of 
their ground. He smote also all the first born in their land, 
the chief of all their strength. 

He brought them forth also with silver and gold ; and 
tliere was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt 
was glad when they departed ; for the fear of them fell 
upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering ; and fire 
to give light in the night. The people asked, and he 



296 ' Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or^ 

brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of hea- 
ven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out : 
they ran in the dry places like a river. 

For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his 
servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, and 
his chosen with gladness ; And gave them the lands of the 
heathen ; and they inherited the labour of the people ? 
that they might observe his statutes, and keep his lawtf. 
Praise yc the Lord. — Psalm cv. ^ 



CHAPTER LV. 

The Creator is to he remembered in the days of youths 
and must not he deferred. The Preacher'' s care to edify. 
The reverential fear of God the chief concern of men. 

1. Remember now thy Creator in the days oi thy youth, 
while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, 
when thou shalt say, 1 have no pleasure in them ; while 
the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not dark- 
ened, nor the clouds return after the rain : 

2. In the day when the keepers of the house shall trem- 
ble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the 
grinders cease because they are few, and those that look 
out of the windows be darkened ; and the doors shall be 
shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low ; 
and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird ; and all the 
daughters of music shall be brought low : Also when they 
shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in 
the w^ay, and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grass- 
hopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail ; because 
man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about 
the streets : 

3. Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden 
bowl be bro^;en, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 
or the wheel broken nt the cistern : then shall the dust 
return to the earth as it was : and the spirit shall return 
unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the 
Preacher ; all is vanity. 

4. And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he 
still taught the people knowledge ; yea, he gave good 
heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. — 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide, 297 

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words ; and 
that which was written was upright, even words of truth 

5. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fas- 
tened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from 
one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admon- 
ished : of making many books there is no end ; and much 
stud}^ is a weariness of the flesh. 

6. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : Fear 
God, and keep his commandnients ; for this is the whole 
duty of man. For God shall bnng every work into judg- 
ment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 
whether it be evil. — Ecclesiastes^ chap. xii. 



CHAPTER LVI. 

A 7iew heaven and a new earth. The blessedness ofGod^s 
people. The judgment of the wicked, A description of the 
heavenly Jerusalem, 

1. And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth : for the 
tirst heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and there 
was no more sea. And 1 John saw the holy city, new Je- 
rusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared 
as a bride adorned for her husband. 

2. And 1 heard a great voice out of heaven, saying. Be- 
hold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell 
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself 
shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe 
away all tears from their e} es ; and there shall be no more 
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be 
any more pain : for the former things are passed away. 

3. And he that sat upon the throne said. Behold, 1 make 
all things new. And he said unto me. Write : for these 
words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is 
done. 1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end : 
1 will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the 
water of life freely. 

4. He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; and 1 
will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, 
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and 
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, 
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire 
and brimstone : which is the second deafti. 



'29 S Beauties of Primitive Christianity, or, 

b. And there came unto me one of the seven angel*. 
which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, 
and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee 
the bride, the Lamb's wife. 

6. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and 
high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Je- 
rusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the 
glory of God : and her light was like unto a stone most pre- 
cious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal ; and had 
awall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the- 
gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are 
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. 

7. On the east, three gates ; on the north, three gates ; 
on the south, three gates ; and on the west, three gates. — 
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in 
rhem the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 

8. And he that talked with rae had a golden reed to mea- 
j^ure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 
And the city iieth four-square, and the length is as large as 
the breadth. 

9. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thou- 
sand furlongs : the length and the breadth, and the height 
uf it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an 
hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the mea- 
sure of a man, that is, of the angel. 

10. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper ; and 
the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the 
foundations of the wall of the city, were garnished with all 
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jas- 
per ; the second, sapphire ; the third, a chalcedony ; the 
fourth, an emerald ; the fifth, sardonyx ; the sixth, sardi- 
us ; the seventh, chrysohte ; the eighth, beryl ; the ninth, 
a topez ; the tenth, a chrysoprasus ; tiie eleventh, a ja- 
cinth ; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

11. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; every 
several gate was of one pearl : and the street of the city 
was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And 1 saw 
no temple therein : for the Lord God Almighty and the 
Lamb are the temple of it. 

12. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the 
jnoon, to shine in it : for the glory of God did lighten it, 
and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

13. And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk 
!i the light of it : and the kings of the earth do bring their 



The Auxiliary and Supplementary Guide* 299 

i4;lory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be 
shut at all by day ; for there shall be no night there. 

14. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the 
nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it 
any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abom« 
ination, or maketh a lie ; but they which are written \n 
the Lamb's book oflife. — Revelation xxi. 



CHAPTER LVIL 

The river and tree of life. The glorious state of God's 
servants. T^he angel will not be worshipped. Worship God. 
Nothing may he added to or taken from this prophecy. 

1. And he shewed me a pure river of water oflife, clear 
as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the 
Lamb. 

2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of 
the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve 
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month : and 
the leaves of the tree were for healing of the nations. 

3. And there shall be no more curse : but the throne of 
God and of the Lamb shall be in it ; and his servants shall 
serve him. And they shall see his face ; and his name 
shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night 
there ; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun : 
for the Lord God giveth them light : and they shall reign 
for ever and ever. 

4. And he said unto me. These sayings are faithful and 
true : and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his an- 
gel to shew unto his servants the things which must short- 
ly be done. Behold, I come quickly : blessed is he that 
keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 

5. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And 
when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before 
the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then 
saith he unto me, See thou do it not : for I am thy fellow 
servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them 
which keep the sayings of this book : worship God. 

6. And he saith unto me. Seal not the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book ; for the time is at hand. He that 
is unjust, let him be unjust still : and he which is filthy, 



300 Beauties of Primitive Christiajuty, or^ 

let him be filthy still : and he that is righteous, let hitn be 
righteous still : and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 

7. And, behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with 
me, to give erery man according as his work shall be. I 
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first 
and the last. 

8. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they 
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through 
the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcer- 
ers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and 
whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

9. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these 
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of 
David, and the bright and morning star. 

10. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let 
him that heareth say. Come. And let him that is athirst 
come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of 
hfe freely. For 1 testify unto every man that heareth the 
words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add 
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that 
are written in this book : 

11. And if any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out 
of the book of life and out of the holy city, and from the 
things which are written in this book. 

12. He which testifieth these things saith. Surely I 
come quickly ; Amen. Even so, come. Lord Jesus. The 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

Revelation xxii. 



BENEDICTION. 

May the blessings of heaven rest upon the w^hole human 
family ! May brotherly love universally prevail, and every 
moral and every social virtue finally and firmly cement 
all mankind, in heavenly, god-like friendship, holiness and 
love 1 Thus, may the grace of God be and abide with us, 
you, and all the sons and daughters of men, for ever and 
ever, without end. Amen. 






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